Going Through Hell
by DeathTheCaterpillar1336
Summary: Soul, Maka, & Kid have been friends for years, but lately something has changed. When they both admit their love for Maka, a fight ensues, and tragedy strikes hard. Will Soul and Kid be able to set aside their rivalry to face a highly dangerous mission? Can they rescue the girl they both love? Or will their rivalry cost them the very thing they were fighting for. SoMa or KiMa
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Unexpected Rivals

**~Narrator POV~**

Ah, the DWMA. The school's perfectly symmetrical silhouette stood outlined boldly against the bright blue sky. The laughing sun hung overhead as students were milling about on their way to class. Smiling faces filled the hallways and classrooms as meisters and weapons greeted their friends. It seemed to be a perfectly peaceful day. That is until….

"YAAAAHOOOO! BOW DOWN MORTALS, YOUR GOD IS HERE! NO PUNY CLASSROOM CAN KEEP ME FROM GRACING YOU ADORING SUBJECTS WITH MY HUGE PRESENCE!"

The obnoxious voice broke through the relaxed atmosphere of the campus as every student sweat dropped, turning to look at the figure standing on one of the building's red spikes. Normally everyone tried to ignore BlackStar, but the last time he stood on that spike he broke it and ruined the school's symmetry, causing an epic fight to ensue between BlackStar and Lord Death's OCD son, Death the Kid. And nobody wanted to miss that if it happened again.

Sure enough, Kid's voice echoed up from the ground below the spike.

"BlackStar! Get down here this instant! I will not have you screwing up my father's perfectly symmetrical school with your antics!" he shouted as his weapons, Liz and Patty, giggled at how hot and bothered Kid got over his little fixation.

BlackStar opened his mouth to shout at Kid about disrespecting his god when Tsubaki, BlackStar's faithful and ever-patient weapon, gently called to him from her place on the roof.

"Please, BlackStar, it's such a beautiful day. Let's not fight. Everyone knows you're a big star! How about we go get some ice cream to celebrate your godliness?" she called, smiling.

"THERE NOW, DO YOU ALL SEE? TSUBAKI KNOWS HOW TO RECOGNIZE A TRUE GOD WHEN SHE SEES ONE! YOU ALL SHOULD LEARN FROM HER AND MAYBE I WOULD REWARD YOU WITH AN AUTOGRAPH!" BlackStar yelled as he leaped down to the ground near Kid, followed by Tsubaki.

"Dude, it is so uncool to be so obnoxious when everyone else is enjoying their afternoon," a voice said from behind the group.

They all turned to see Soul strolling towards them, a lazy grin on his face and his hands behind his head; the picture of cool. Right behind him was his meister, Maka, her nose in a book as usual. For a moment, Kid stopped to wonder how she managed to walk and read at the same time without tripping or running into things. The only time he ever saw her graceful is when she fights, but other than that she's fairly clumsy.

_In the most adorable way_, Kid thought to himself, then quickly looked away from the girl when he felt himself blush. Liz, who knew that her meister had a little crush on Maka, chuckled. A few weeks ago she had found a diary he kept and read it out of boredom. At first it was all rantings about symmetry and perfection, but then she read, "Maka sat right in front of me in class today. Her pigtails were so perfectly symmetrical that I couldn't stop staring at them. Or her. She's so beautiful. Her nose is not bent in any way, her eyes are just the right size for her face and are an equal distance apart, and her lips broke into a perfectly symmetrical grin whenever she completed a problem in class or answered a question for Professor Stein. I could just stare at her all day…" Ever since then, Liz had been giggling behind her meister's back and wondering when he would make a move, if ever.

Soul saw Kid blush when he looked at Maka and, for a split second, let his cool guy façade break as he frowned. What the hell is Kid thinking about if he can't look at her without blushing? Just to mess with the young reaper, he reached up and playfully tugged on one of Maka's pigtails, making it a little lower than the other one and throwing off her symmetry. Kid twitched and grimaced and Soul found himself smiling once again.

"Ow, Soul, what did you do that for?" Maka snapped at Soul, re-adjusting her pigtails.

Soul shrugged and tilted his head back, closing his eyes.

"I felt like it. You look like a ten year old with those pigtails, you're just asking for someone to yank on them to pick on you."

Glowering at her partner, Maka closed her book and raised it above her head, gathering her strength.

"Maka…" she growled as Soul's eyes shot open and he snapped his head around to look at her pleadingly.

"No, Maka, don't…." he began, but he was too late.

"CHOP!" the blonde meister yelled as she brought the book down onto Soul's head, causing him to hit the ground rather hard as he rubbed at the dent in his head.

"Wow, Maka, if you can hit like that, why do you even need a weapon?" Liz asked, amused.

The group chuckled, but none more than Kid. Soul growled at him as he sat up but then shot a glare at Maka, not daring to say anything else.

"HEY!" BlackStar shouted, waving his hands to get more attention. "I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD GET ICE CREAM AS A CELEBRATION OF MY GODLINESS, AND I WANT THAT TRIBUTE NOW!"

Everyone rolled their eyes, but the friends all headed towards the nearest ice cream parlor, chatting happily about classes, fights, and other such things. Only two people were not paying attention to the rest of the group. Kid and Soul watched as Maka chatted with Tsubaki about a book that they just finished reading, her hands clasped behind her back and her pigtails swinging as she walked. They had both noticed how her figure had started filling out when she turned fifteen. Well, she was seventeen now, and she had done a lot more filling out. A lot more. Kid glanced over at Soul and saw the scythe's red eyes fixed on Maka's face as she laughed at something that Tsubaki had said. Kid felt something heavy settle in the pit of his stomach as he saw how much affection Soul's eye held when he looked at his meister. Kid was worried that he might have some competition for Maka's affections.

Soul felt Kid watching him and glanced over at the boy, frowning again. He knew Kid thought that Maka was pretty because of her symmetry, but he wondered how far down those feelings actually went. He growled internally at the thought of Maka with Kid…or really with anyone other than himself. He glanced over at Kid once more and saw Kid watching Maka's oh so symmetrical hips sway as she walked. He felt his fists ball up for a moment before he trotted up ahead to walk alongside Maka. He casually dropped his arm around her shoulders and said, loud enough for the others, mainly Kid, to hear, "Hey, Maka, what are you gonna want for dinner tonight? It's my turn to cook and I want to make sure to cook something good since you've been studying so hard for the exams."

"Wow, thanks, Soul! That's very sweet of you! I'm not sure what groceries we have at home so we might have to go shopping," Maka said, smiling up at her partner.

When she turned back to Tsubaki to continue her conversation, Soul glanced over his shoulder, smirking as he saw how Kid was fuming. Liz went over to pat her meister on the back as Patty ran up to BlackStar blabbering about their favorite kinds of ice cream.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Surprise, Maka!

**~Maka's POV~**

What is going on with Soul and Kid? They have been acting weird for weeks now.

They used to be friends, but lately they seem like they just keep getting on each other's nerves. I asked Soul what was going on and he just averted his gaze and mumbled something barely coherent about a "perfectionist brat" who apparently wanted something that wasn't his. I eventually just shrugged it off as boys being stupid boys.

I smiled as Soul brought me a banana split, my favorite, and sat down next to me. I thanked him and he smiled back at me. I could've sworn I saw him blush, but that must have just been the lighting or something. Soul is too cool to blush. I shook my head and chuckled a little, digging into my delicious ice cream.

"So, Maka, did you take a lot of notes today in class?" Liz asked me, sitting down next to Kid, who was sitting across from me.

I looked over at her and nodded, trying to swallow all of the ice cream in my mouth so I could answer.

"Of course! We have exams next week so I have been writing down most of what Professor Stein says. Why, do you need to borrow them?"

"Oh, no, I prefer to wait til the last minute to study so the information is still fresh on my brain. No, I just couldn't help but notice that Kid wasn't paying a whole lot of attention in class today so he hardly took any notes. I think he was distracted or something," she said, smirking and elbowing Kid, who glared over at her.

That's weird. Now there's something going on with those two? Oh, well. He probably just re-organized her room for her again or something without her permission.

"Well, you can borrow my notes if you want, Kid. I have to study too, so would you want to just meet up in the library so we can study together?" I asked.

Kid opened his mouth to say something, but Patty interrupted by yelling, "We have a library at the mansion! Why don't you just come over and study with Kiddo there?"

I smiled and agreed that that would be a great idea. I'd only been in Kid's library once before, but I remember it was huge! I can't wait to see all the books he has in there!

"You have seemed a little distracted in class lately, Kid. Is something wrong?" Tsubaki asked Kid.

The young reaper just blushed deeply and looked down at the table.

"N-no, everything is fine," he said sheepishly.

Soul shifted in his seat and I looked over to see him looking at Kid strangely, almost menacingly.

"Come on, Kid, something must have been distracting you. Wanna tell us what it is?" he asked in a calm voice as Kid glanced at him evenly.

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about," he replied.

Seriously, what is it with these two? Before I could say anything, BlackStar wedged himself in between me and Soul, plopping down a huge bowl overflowing with a monumental amount of ice cream.

"SOUL EATER EVANS! I, YOUR GOD, CHALLENGE YOU TO AN ICE CREAM EATING CONTEST, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! FIRST ONE TO FINISH THEIR ICE CREAM WINS! NOT THAT YOU STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME!" BlackStar shouted.

Soul looked annoyed for a split second, but then he smirked at BlackStar and ran to get ice cream, quickly returning with a bowl as big as BlackStar's.

"Won't you guys get awful brain freezes?" Tsubaki asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure that they have the required equipment for that, Tsubaki. What is there to freeze?" I chuckled, earning a laugh from everyone else at the table and an indignant, "HEY!" from Soul and BlackStar.

BlackStar asked Patty to be the judge, and she gleefully skipped over to them and yelled, "Ready….Set….GO!"

The two boys dug into their ice cream, sending gobs of it flying everywhere. I jumped back to avoid getting hit while cheering Soul on. I am his meister, after all. Everyone gathered around Soul and BlackStar, cheering for one of the other. Suddenly, I felt a hand rest lightly on my shoulder and turned to face Kid. He looked a little nervous about something.

"Maka…Can I speak to you outside for a moment, please?" he asked.

He definitely seemed nervous. I nodded, too confused to say anything, and followed him outside. Once there he turned to face me, though he quickly looked at the ground and idly kicked at a pebble.

"What is it, Kid? Is something the matter?" I asked him, concerned.

"Well…no, nothing is the matter…that is, nothing is wrong, necessarily, but there I something going on…you see, Maka…I…I…," he struggled for words.

Feeling very concerned for him, I stepped a little closer to him. I'd never seen him this flustered before. I put my hand on his arm, trying to comfort him.

"Just tell me, it's okay. Is it something about me? Are my pigtails uneven or something?" I asked, touching my pigtails to check.

He looked me in the eyes then, and I could see he wasn't mad. He looked…affectionate. And warm.

"No, it isn't your pigtails. They're perfect. In fact, _you_ are perfect. That's the problem. Well, no, that's not a problem…what I meant was…well…"

His eyes looked almost searchingly into mine, and then the most unexpected thing happened. He put his arm around my waist and placed his free hand under my chin, tilting my head back and then…Kid kissed me! I felt his lips press against mine, gently but firmly, and for a moment all I could register in my mind was surprise. I felt my eyes widen and then, on some instinct, I closed them. I barely had time to react to the kiss when I felt a hand on my shoulder and felt someone shove Kid away from me. I opened my eyes in confusion and saw Soul standing in front f me.

He looked pissed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Confessions, Confusion and Pain

**~Soul's POV~**

There is no way BlackStar can beat me at any kind of eating contest, ESPECIALLY ice cream! I am SO going to win this thing. Ow! My head is killing me! Guess I should have listened to Tsubaki about brain freezes…oh, well. Cool guys can handle a little pain!

That's when I glanced over to see how far BlackStar was from fishing his bowl. And I saw them. Through the large ice cream parlor window I saw Kid and Maka talking. I froze for a second, and in that second I saw him pull her forward and kiss her! I felt my heart wrench and a deep anger boiled up in my blood. I stood up from the table, ignoring BlackStar's triumphant cries of, "YES! VICTORY IS MINE! OF COURSE I KNEW I COULDN'T LOSE TO..."

I bolted towards Maka and Kid and the ice cream parlor door slammed shut behind me, blocking the rest of BlackStar's rant. Maka's back was to me, but because of the angle at which her head was tilted I could see that her eyes, which had widened in surprise, were starting to close. Putting my hand on her shoulder, I gently pulled her back a little, shoving Kid back with my other hand not so gently and stepping in between them.

"Soul?! What the hell?!" I heard Maka yell, clearly angry, but I was focused on Kid, who was glaring at me with a mixture of triumph and annoyance.

"Soul, would you mind telling me what exactly you are doing?" he asked smugly.

"You know damn well what I'm doing! I'm keeping you away from my meister! I can't believe you just kissed Maka!" I yelled at him.

I saw a grin form on his face and it made me just want to punch him in the face even more.

"Soul, what is your problem?! Why are you acting like such a jerk?!" Maka yelled at me, tugging on my arm and making me face her.

Her face showed frustration, but in her eyes I could tell that she was confused. I hadn't thought before I acted, I just wanted to get Kid away from her. Seeing the two of them kiss hurt. What do I do now? Should I tell her how I feel? If I tell her now it will seem like I'm lying to her to keep her away from Kid. Damn it…

Before I could say anything, Kid stepped towards her and put his hand on her arm.

"Maka, may I continue what I was trying to say?" he asked.

He was looking at her way too tenderly. I clenched my fist, but Maka put her hand on my arm.

"Soul. Stop. I don't know what your problem is, but if I want to talk to Kid I will, and I think after what just happened we do need to talk. So can you just calm down?" she asked.

She looked very flustered. She doesn't like Kid back, does she? Oh death, I hope not. I stepped back but stayed close by so I could hear what they were saying. By now all of our friends had run outside, having seen the conflict, and were now gathered behind me.

"Maka," Kid began, "I really like you. More than that, I…I think I'm in love with you."

I felt a weight settle in my stomach and held my breath for Maka's response. I heard Liz and Patty squeak with excitement and I turn to them.

"Did you know about this?" I snapped.

Liz looked at me with annoyance and motioned for me to shut up. I turned back to Maka and Kid, not wanting to fight two of my friends in the same day.

"K-Kid…," Maka stammered, "How long hae you felt this way?"

"For months now," Kid sighed. "It started after you had that sleepover with the girls and they convinced you to dress up for school the next day. You walked into class wearing that denim skirt and green halter top that Liz loaned you and I just remember thinking that I'd never seen anyone more beautiful. It wasn't just that you were symmetrical, though you were. It was more than that. It was like I was seeing you for the first time. And since that day I have found myself more and more transfixed with you. I look forward to school every day because I know I will get to see you. When you sit near me the smell of your perfume is so intoxicating that I can hardly focus. I knew I was really in love when you came to class one day with only one ponytail instead of two and in it was a bow that was a little crooked, and you had your bangs swept over to one side. You were so asymmetrical, but I didn't even care. I still thought you were perfect. That…never happens for me. I just…I really love you, Maka."

Kid finished his speech and everyone looked at Maka, waiting for her reply. Her mouth had dropped open slightly in surprise at Kid's confession and she looked stunned. I could tell she was self-conscious that all of our friends were around, and she seemed like she was struggling to find something to say. So I stepped in.

"Okay, Kid, clearly Maka is a little taken aback by all of this. I think you should give her some space. Now."

"Soul!" Maka hissed glaring at me again. "Why are you acting so weird? What does it matter to you if Kid likes me or not?"

"Because!" I yelled, scrambling to find something to say without giving away my feelings.

"Because what?" Maka asked, turning to face me completely, her eyes looking at me with annoyance.

I snapped and blurted out the first thing that popped into my mind.

"Because, he's probably just playing with you! I mean really, Maka, why would he like you? Kid could have any girl he wanted! He's one of the most popular guys in school, he's loaded, he's the son of Lord Death himself, hell he even _lives _with two hot girls! Why in the world would he fall for some flat-chested bookworm like you? Why would any guy fall for that? You're nothing special! Really, Maka, grow up!"

I froze when I realized what I had said. I heard all of our friends gasp in shock and BlackStar muttered, "Dude…uncool…" But that didn't matter to me. All I could register was the look on Maka's face. She looked like I had just slapped her. Her eyes were tearing up and I could see her lower lip quivering. She didn't even look angry, just…hurt. God, why did I have to say that? That's not how I feel at all! Why…

I lost my train of thought when she slapped me in the face. I could tell that she was trying to say something, but she couldn't think of the words. I couldn't even think of something bad enough to call me. I raised my hand to my stinging cheek as she spun around and ran off, tears running down her cheeks.

"Maka…wait!" I called after her.

I started to run after her, but a hand gripped my arm firmly and I turned to see Kid holding me back.

"I think you have done enough, Soul. Leave her alone."

I yanked my arm out of his hand and snapped, "Don't tell me what to do."

I felt someone slap me on the back of the head and whipped around to see Patty and Tsubaki running after Maka, followed by Liz who had paused long enough to hit me.

"Dude, why would you say something like that to Maka? That was so mean," BlackStar said.

"I…I don't know. It just came out. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it at all. I…I love Maka…" I stammered.

Kid's eyes narrowed at me.

"Well you have an interesting way of showing it. We may be in love with the same girl, but clearly I am far better for her than you. You should get out of my way," he said evenly.

I drew my fist back and punched him in the face, sending him flying backwards. He jumped to his feet and ran at me, ready to strike me back. I got into a defensive stance, but BlackStar interfered by standing in between us and holding us apart.

"You two need to stop. Clearly you have some things to work out, but first we need to go find Maka. And Soul, man, you need to apologize and tell her why you said those things. Otherwise she's going to resent you and you won't be able to resonate anymore," he said, shockingly calm and serious for a change.

Kid and I nodded and we were about to head after the girls when Kid's phone went off. He looked down at it and sighed.

"It's a message from Spirit. He said my father needs us all in the Death Room. Now."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: What The Heart Wants?

**~Maka's POV~**

I just kept running. I could hear my feet pounding against the ground as tears streamed down my cheeks. I knocked over some guy who walked into my path, but I didn't stop to apologize. I didn't even know where I was going, I just needed to get away from Soul. How could he say those things? I mean, I knew Soul could never love me, but wow. I didn't know he was so disgusted by me. I know I had a huge crush on him a couple of years ago, but I accepted then that he would never want to be with someone like me. I thought maybe when I filled out a little he might start to see me as a woman instead of just his partner, but I was wrong. I guess to him I will always be some stupid flat-chested little girl. I could still hear his words echoing in my head.

_Why in the world would he fall for some flat-chested bookworm like you? Why would any guy fall for that? You're nothing special!_

"Soul…" I sobbed, slowing to a walk.

_Really, Maka, grow up!_

My legs gave out and I dropped down to my knees. I felt something soft under my legs and looked down to see grass. Looking around I could see that I had run to the park and was now sitting underneath a tree. I leaned back and pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on my knees.

Was Soul right? Was Kid just trying to use me like my father uses all of those women? But…no, that can't be right. Kid and I have been friends for years. And he blushed when he spoke, and when I looked in his eyes I thought I could see the love he was trying to confess to me. I had to admit, I had always thought that Kid was attractive. And he's smart and loves reading like I do. And he's so kind and strong. I've had a little crush on him for the last couple of years. When he kissed me…what? What did I feel when he kissed me? I didn't see fireworks like people always talk about in books, but I was also taken by surprised. I certainly felt butterflies in my stomach. I don't think I am in love with Kid, not like I used to be with Soul. But…I could easily fall for Kid. Pretty fast, too. And clearly he loves me. Clearly _he _doesn't think I'm silly and unattractive…

Soul's words hit me again and I sniffled and wiped the tears off my cheeks. Then I heard someone calling me name.

"Maka!" Tsubaki called, running up and sitting beside me.

Liz and Patty were close behind her, and the three of them sat around me in a sort of semi-circle.

"Maka, don't listen to what Soul said. He's an idiot," Liz said, moving closer and dropping her arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah! You aren't flat-chested anymore at all! Look, your boobs are at least as big as Liz's!" Patty cheered, grabbing one of my boobs with one hand and one of her sister's with the other, comparing them.

Despite my hurt feelings, I couldn't help but chuckle and thank her.

"Maka, I don't know why Soul said those things, but I'm sure he didn't mean them. You're his best friend and he loves you," Tsubaki said softly, rubbing my arm soothingly.

I scoffed.

"Soul could never love me. All I'll ever be is his silly, flat-chested, bookworm meister," I said bitterly.

Tsubaki knows how much I liked Soul back then. I used to tell her all the time how much I wished he would see me as more than just his friend and meister. She had been sure that he felt the same, but then he had never made a move and eventually I moved on.

"Maka, Soul would die for you in a heartbeat. But…maybe it _is _better that you've, you know, moved on," Tsubaki responded.

Patty nodded her head as Liz chimed in.

"Yeah, and Kid really does love you. I found his diary a while back, and he's been scribbling in it about you for a while now. And he spends half of class staring at you, she said, smiling.

I knew Kid was like a brother to her and Patty, and no doubt she liked the idea of one day having me as a sister. Not to mention all of the sleepovers we would have. I grinned at the thought.

"Well, do you like Kid back?" Tsubaki asked me.

I felt myself blush a little as I nodded my head.

"Yes…I know I used to love Soul, but like I said, that could never happen. And when I met Kid I started getting a little bit of a crush on him. I still have a crush on him. I don't love him yet, but I know I could. It would be easy to fall for him. He's so sweet and kind and handsome and strong. I even think his little OCD hangups are the cute kind of quirky."

Liz and Patty chuckled and high-fived. I thought I heard Liz mutter something like, "Soul who?"

Hearing Soul's name again caused a pang in my heart, and my grin faded. I still can't believe he said those things…

I felt my phone buzz and looked at the screen to see a text message from my father.

_MAKA-CHAN! LORD DEATH NEEDS TO SEE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS IN THE DEATH ROOM IMMEDIATELY. I'LL SEE YOU SOON, MY SWEET DAUGHTER! PAPA LOVES YOU!_

_-Spirit_

"Lord Death needs to see us all in the Death Room," I said, standing up.

I saw Liz check her phone too, so Kid must have just informed her as well. We started heading towards Shibusen, and I felt a knot in my stomach at the thought of seeing Soul right now. Much less in the same room as Kid…

"This should be interesting…" I muttered.

"Yeah," Tsubaki agreed, misunderstanding what I was talking about. "I wonder what Lord Death wants."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Mission...Now?

**~Kid's POV~**

Soul, BlackStar and I arrived at the Death Room before the girls. The three of us walked down the guillotine hallway and arrived in front of father's mirror. Spirit stood in his usual place beside the mirror. His eyes glanced over us and I knew he was looking for Maka. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. For a womanizing party boy, he sure could be an over-attached father.

My father appeared in his mirror.

"Hello hello! Whassup kids?" he asked in his usual cooky voice, his large white hand holding up a peace sign.

"Hello, father," I said, stepping forward. "Why did you need to see us?"

Before answering, father glanced around the room.

"Why don't we wait for the ladies to join us before I start explaining?" he said.

"No no, don't worry about waiting, we're here!" I heard Liz yell. We all looked back at the guillotine hallway to see Liz and Patty entering the death room. Right behind them was Maka with Tsubaki staying close by her. Maka's eyes were on the ground, but I could see that she had been crying. I felt my fists clench as a glared over at Soul. How dare he say such mean things to Maka. How could he be so cruel to a girl he claims to love? He didn't seem to catch my glare. His eyes seemed glued to Maka's face. He looked guilty. Good.

The girls lined up alongside us, weapons going to stand by their meisters, except Maka who stood between me and Soul. But, I noticed somewhat happily, she stood closer to me.

"OH, MAKA, MY DARLING DAUGHTER, YOU LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL EVERY DA…" Spirit paused in the middle of his gleeful rant and he approached his daughter, who averted her gaze.

Spirit lifted Maka's face so that he could look at her and concern crossed his face.

"Maka, why have you been crying? What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Before Maka could reply, Liz had to open her big mouth.

"A certain dumbass scythe said some hurtful things. Because, you know, he's such a dumbass," Liz said, crossing her arms and glaring at Soul who, like Maka, was now staring at the ground.

Spirit's eyes shot over to Soul, anger flashing in them as he put his hand consolingly on his daughter's shoulder. She must be really upset because she didn't shrug him off like she usually would.

"Oh, Soul said that Maka was nothing but a silly flat-chested nothing-special bookworm that no man would be interested in," Patty chimed in, a little too gleeful for the occasion.

Spirit was on Soul in a second, lifting him by the front of his shirt and giving him a murderous look.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY BABY GIRL?! HOW DARE YOU?! SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN AND ANY MAN WOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE HER, NOT THAT I AM TOO THRILLED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, MIND YOU! HOW COULD YOU SAY SHE IS NOTHING SPECIAL?! SHE'S THE MOST PRECIOUS THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD AND IF YOU CAN'T SEE THAT YOU'RE A MORON! YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE TO MY MAKA RIGHT NOW BEFORE I SLICE YOU TO PIECES!" Spirit yelled.

I half expected some kind of snarky retort from Soul, but instead we all looked at him to see his eyes still fixed on the floor and his fists shaking.

"Maka…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say those things, they just slipped out. I…I would never want to hurt you. I'm sorry…." he said in a soft voice.

Maka took a step closer to me, still not looking at Soul.

"It's fine," she muttered, but it was not convincing.

I put my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, and she gave me a small grin. I wish I could make her smile, but for now that grin is enough to make me feel like flying. At least I helped a little.

"Spirit, come now, put the boy down. We have business to discuss," father told Spirit.

Spirit slowly lowered Soul to the ground, but he did not stop glaring at him. He squeezed Maka's shoulder and returned to his place beside father's mirror. I know Maka would never admit it, but she does have a good father. He clearly loves her.

"Now that everyone is present, I can discuss why I called you here. There has been a pre-kishin sighting on the outskirts of the city. In fact, there have been three," father began.

"Three? Three pre-kishins in the same place? That's unusual," Tsubaki said, looking puzzled.

Father sighed.

"Yes, well, we believe that they were triplets who became obsessed with family pride to the extent that they believed they were born to take over the city. They began eating human souls to gain more power so that they could claim what they believe to be their rightful places as lords of Death City."

We all nodded. It makes sense. One of the main reasons people become pre-kishins is due to a thirst for more power than they can possess as ordinary human beings. A few of them do have aspirations to take over the city and prey on the citizens to their hearts' content.

"How would you like us to approach the situation?" Maka asked.

She was always the type to get determined when it came to her job as meister. It is one of the many things I admire about her.

"Well," father replied, "I figured since there are three of them and you lot are my three best weapon/meister pairs, each of you meisters could take your weapons and go after one of the pre-kishins. It shouldn't be difficult for you given your strength and ability, and these three pre-kishins are always spotted together, or at least not far apart, so if you do need assistance you can come to each other's aid."

BlackStar jumped in the air and fist pumped.

"YAAAAHOOOO! THE ALMIGHTY BLACKSTAR HAS BEEN CALLED ON ONCE AGAIN TO DEMONSTRATE HIS BRAVERY AND POWER! NEVER FEAR, MORTALS, I WILL BE THERE TO SAVE YOU ALL WHEN YOU GET INTO TROUBLE!" he yelled, earning him a swift reaper chop from father.

We all sweat dropped as we watched Tsubaki try to help a bleeding, dent-headed BlackStar to his feet.

"Now that that is over, be on your way. Good luck, kids!" father said, raising his hand in a giant peace sign again as we all headed back down the guillotine hallway.

I so badly wanted to take Maka's hand, but I sensed that she did need a little bit of space. Liz had texted me during BlackStar's rant and said that Maka liked me, but that she was also upset by the things her so-called best friend had said to her and she was not in the mood right now to make relationship decisions. As long as I knew that Maka liked me back, I could wait forever if I needed to.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Time to Fight!

**~Maka's POV~**

The pre-kishins were not hard to find. We pretty much just had to follow the destruction they were leaving behind. Though there was palpable tension between Kid, Soul and me, we were all too focused on our mission to say anything. Instead of overthinking it, we just focused on staying alert. We could all talk later, and maybe then I could figure out why Soul has been acting so weird and why he said those awful things.

I risked a quick glance over at him. He was walking with his hands deep in his pockets and, though he was looking around in case of surprise attacks, his eyes still looked a little…sad? Or maybe just guilty that he actually told me how he felt. He's probably been holding that back for a long time now so he wouldn't hurt my feelings.

Before Soul could catch me looking, I glanced over at Kid. Liz and Patty were staying close by him, ready to become weapons at the blink of an eye if they needed to. I bitterly acknowledged that Soul had a point. I found myself wondering how Lord Death's son had fallen for me when he lived with someone as pretty as Liz. Plus he had girls making goo goo eyes at him all the time. He could easily have anyone he wanted. So why me?

I thought back to that day he mentioned when I had dressed differently for school. Every time I had a sleepover with Liz she would dress me in some of her clothes for school the next day. I remember feeling awkward in the denim mii skirt she had forced ne into, and that green halter top had been awfully tight and a little too low cut for my taste. She had also gotten Patty to hold me down long enough to get some makeup on me. That Patty is deceptively strong.

As soon as I walked into school that day I could hear people whispering things like, "Is that Maka?" and "Wow, she's gorgeous! Has she always looked like that?" I just blushed and started fidgeting with my skirt, trying to pull it down a little bit. But every time I tried to pull my top up a little or tug my skirt down so it would seem longer, Liz would just yank the clothes back into place. So I just sighed and accepted it.

When I had walked into class, I felt like everyone was staring at me. Probably because they were. I knew I looked different than usual, but was it really that big of a deal? I walked to my seat next to Soul a little more quickly than usual, hoping that the lesson would start soon so that everyone would have something else to pay attention to.

Now that I really think about it, I do remember Kid staring at me and looking shocked. I thought maybe he was having one of his episodes because Liz had pulled my hair up into one ponytail and put a boy at the top of it, and maybe it was off-center or something. But knowing now that he liked me then, I can remember how he blushed and averted his gaze, trying not to stare at me. So he had thought I was beautiful. That's much more flattering than being asymmetrical.

And Soul…I remember how Soul acted that day as well. He, too, stared over at me like he was surprised. Actually he was looking at me like I had sprouted antennas. I remember asking him what was wrong and he blushed and looked away, muttering something incoherent. I was kind of flattered because I thought maybe he thought I looked pretty. I guess he just thought I looked silly trying to be something I'm not. Maybe that blush I thought I saw was just some trick of the light. And he was probably muttering something about how I was too flat-chested to pull off that outfit or that a bookworm like me should stick to my usual dorky uniform. I clenched my fists a little, my hurt feelings turning into anger.

My thoughts were interrupted by a scream. We all looked at each other and then ran in the direction of the sound. Rounding a nearby corner, we saw the first pre-kishin. He looked more or less like a human being, but he was exceptionally tall, maybe even 8 feet, and he wore a mask over the top half of his face that looked like something straight out of a Poe story. It was white with black vein-like webs crossing it, with a sharp and curved nose jutting from the bottom of the mask. Beneath the mask, a pair of beady orange eyes glowed and an abnormally wide mouth opened to reveal a sharp set of teeth, similar to Soul's. The creature smirked and threw the woman it had just killed. Her body hit a nearby wall with a dull thud before sliding limply to the ground, blood pooling under her. My stomach turned as I realized that she looked a little bit like Tsubaki. Sure enough, I looked back at the creature to find that his eyes were locked on Tsubaki, a sharp tongue crossing over his lips. He must have a favorite type.

"What a delectable looking girl…" he droned, his voice sickeningly sweet.

BlackStar's eyes narrowed as he held out his hand.

"Tsubaki!" he said calmly.

Tsubaki's face went from disgusted to determined as she nodded.

"Right!"

She jumped into the air and transformed into her chain scythe form, falling into BlackStar's hands as if they were made to catch her.

"I guess this one is ours, guys. Go find the others," BlackStar shouted, running towards the creature and grinning with excitement as he leapt into the air and prepared to strike.

"DO YOU THINK SHE LOOKS DELECTABLE NOW?! SHE IS THE POWERFUL WEAPON OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL BLACKSTAR, THE MAN WHO WILL SURPASS GOD!"

The sounds of fighting ensued, but we were already on our way forward to find the remaining two pre-kishins. The search did not take long. The other two were together, and only a block away from their brother. They looked identical to him, and they had cornered a woman and her two children against a building.

"Looks like were just in time!" I shouted, glad that we could at least save these people. "Kid, Soul and I will take the one on the left. You take the other one, okay?

I looked over at him and he nodded.

"Right, then. Liz, Patty, let's go!" he said with determination as he held out his hands for his weapons.

With a "Right!" and a "Woo hoo!" the sisters transformed into matching pistols, which Kid caught expertly as he ran towards the creature.

For a moment I grinned at how confident he seemed in battle, but then the other creature caught sight of me and Soul and started towards us. I held out my hand towards Soul.

"Are you ready?" I asked him flatly.

Right now we had to forget what happened earlier. Killing this thing was priority one. Soul placed his hand in mine, and my fingers twitched a little, my anger stubbornly refusing to subside. Whatever, I can use my anger in this fight.

"Alright, here we go!" I yelled.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Breaking Point

**~Maka's POV~**

I felt Soul transform at the same instant I started running towards the monster. However, once I felt his shaft in my hands, I felt an intense burning feeling in my palms and fingers causing me to instinctively drop Soul. He fell to the ground with a clang and his reflection appeared in his blade, looking confused and concerned.

"Maka," he yelled. "What's wrong?"

I gritted my teeth and pressed my lips together. Damn it. I didn't think of this. I recognize this feeling from that time we fought against Free, right after Soul had been wounded by Crona and Ragnarok. Our emotions are in upheaval. I am hurt and angry and he…well, I guess his disgust with me is finally coming to the surface. We can't resonate!

"Maka," Soul yelled again. "Stop staring at your hands and answer me! What is it?"

"Our resonance is off!" I snapped at him.

I couldn't read his expression. He seemed upset, but I couldn't tell if it was anger, frustration, or disappointment. I clenched my fists and looked up to see the pre-kishin closing in on us. Kid already had his on the ropes. I growled and snatched Soul off the ground, ignoring the searing pain in my hands. I am not going to let this thing live just because Soul acted like a jerk!

"I'm gonna take your soul!" I yelled at it, jumping as high as I could and arcing Soul's blade through the air, bringing it down on the creature's shoulder. I had been aiming to cut off its head, but it dodged just in time. It let out a howl of pain and clutched the bleeding wound as I landed behind it and twirled Soul, not keeping my back to my opponent for more than a second. Blinded by pain, the creature spun around and charged me again, swinging it's abnormally long arms wildly, clutching a large knife in each hand. I jumped back a few times, dodging his strikes until I learned the pattern of his attack. Spotting an opening, I leapt over his hand once more, flipping and twisting in the air so that I landed on my feet, facing his back. Before he could turn around, I swung Soul upwards at his back, gashing it and causing blood to spill out over the sidewalk. A flash of pain shot up from my hands to my arms, radiating through my soul. Soul's reflection showed him grimace and wince in pain. We couldn't fight like this for much longer with our soul resonance this broke.

Seeing his opportunity to escape, the pre-kishin struck Soul with one of his blades, sending him flying out of my hand, while he struck at me with his other hand, causing me to jump back and putting more distance between me and my weapon. Seeing that he was outmatched as Kid finished off his brother, the creature turned and ran away with surprising speed.

"Maka!" Kid called as he ran over to me.

He wrapped his arms around me as he released Liz and Patty, who I could hear transform behind me.

"Are you alright? What happened back there?" he asked gently, pulling bacl to look me over for injuries, though keeping his hands on my arms.

Soul turned back to human form and ran over, knocking Kid out of his way and glaring at him.

"Dude, we just talked about this earlier. Back off of her," he growled at Kid.

And that was it. That was my limit. My anger boiled over and I felt my eyes narrow at Soul. Clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, I moved close to his face.

"WHAT. THE. HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM! YOU HAVE BEEN ACTING STRANGELY ALL WEEK TOWARDS ME AND KID! I FIGURED, WHATEVER, MAYBE IT WAS SOME STUPID BOY THING, BUT THEN THOE THINGS YOU SAID EARLIER?! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! IF YOU RESENTED ME SO MUCH WHY DID YOU EVEN WANT TO BECOME MY PARTNER IN THE FIRST PLACE?! IF I'M JUST SO DISGUSTING TO YOU THEN WHY DID YOU EVER EVEN TALK TO ME?! IT MUST'VE BEEN JUST SO HARD FOR YOU TO ACT LIKE YOU LIKED ME ALL THESE YEARS! WHAT AN IDIOT I AM, YOU'RE JUST A FAKE AND A LIAR, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER MAN! EXCEPT YOU'RE EVEN WORSE CAUSE I ACTUALLY TRUSTED YOU! AND NOW WE CAN'T EVEN FIGHT TOGETHER ANYMORE, SO I GUESS YOU GOT JUST WHAT YOU WANTED! I HOPE YOUR NEXT PARTNER MAKE YOU MUCH HAPPIER!" I screamed at him.

His eyes widened in shock. I guess he hadn't expected me to blow up like that. Well good. I hope I scared the hell out of him. But now he looks…What is that? Does he really look sad? What does he have to be sad about?

"M-Maka…" he mumbled, reaching out to take my hand. I drew back from him, still glaring at him, and Kid stepped in between us.

Uh-oh.

"Soul. That's enough. She's said her piece, now you need to leave," Kid said evenly.

Soul's eyes went from sad to furious and he shoved Kid. I quickly jumped out of the way so Kid wouldn't fall into me. I moved towards Soul, ready to set him straight, but Liz put her hand on my shoulder, holding me back.

"I think they need to have this out," she said, so I stood down and watched as my…what, former best friend?...and my…my maybe future boyfriend?...wow, what a weird day this has been…

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Soul roared, shoving Kid again.

Kid just stared at him blankly, and Soul jabbed his finger into his chest.

"You just had to make a move on Maka! Everything was fine before that! If you could've just kept you FREAKING MOUTH shut everything would be FINE!" he yelled.

Kid arched his eyebrow and curled his hand around Soul's wrist. This time Liz said, "Uh-oh."

Before I could ask what was wrong, Kid twisted Soul's arm and hurled him several feet through the air. Soul hit the ground with a thud and jumped up, his face twisted in anger.

"I should've kept should've kept my mouth shut?" Kid said darkly, anger seeping into his voice as he walked toward Soul.

"I'm not the pigheaded jackass who said all of those cruel and hurtful things to Maka. I'm not the one who made her cry. I'm not the one who…"

Kid was interrupted by Soul swinging at him with an uppercut that landed squarely on Kid's jaw. Quickly regaining his balance, Kid swung back at Soul, growling when Soul dodged and bringing his knee up into Soul's stomach. Soul stumbled forward and spun around, connecting a punch with Kid's ribs. Before Kid could recover, Soul swept his leg at Kid's legs, making the young reaper fall on his back. Kid glared up at Soul as Soul yelled at him.

"I KNOW! I know what I said! Death help me I know! It's burned into my head! All I can think about is the look on Maka's face when she heard those awful things come out of my mouth! But I didn't mean them! I DIDN'T MEAN A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE THINGS! I just wanted her away from you, but I couldn't tell her the real reason why because she wouldn't believe it, so I blurted out the only thing that popped into my head! And I wish to Death that I hadn't because I only ended up hurting the woman I'm in love with!"

I heard Liz and Patty gasp behind me. I couldn't even manage to gasp. I felt my mouth drop open in shock and I felt…stunned. So…Soul really did love me. He did blush and think I was pretty that day in class. And that means that he's been acting so weird because he didn't know how to act around me. He must've been afraid of damaging our friendship. Or even our partnership. And when he said those things, it's just because he was trying to drive me and Kid apart, but he didn't think about what he said. But…why wouldn't he just tell me that? Oh Death, I'm so confused…

Kid jumped to his feet and shoved Soul back.

"You keep saying that, but you hurt her! I would never say anything to make Maka cry! You can say you love her all you want, but I'm the one who is better for her! And you know it! You're too freaking obsessed with being "Mr. Cool" to ever really love someone, and Maka deserves someone who will make her feel special!" he yelled.

"I do love her! I've loved her with my whole heart for a long time! For years! She's my best friend and meister, but she's so much more than that! She's the first person I think about every morning when I wake up and the last person I think about when I go to sleep, she's the only person who understands me more than anyone else, she's the reason I push myself to be better, the reason I work so hard to be a Death Scythe, so I can feel like I'm worthy of her! We have a bond you wouldn't even understand! Our souls are connected! She means the world to me! So how dare you say that you're better for her when nobody will ever love her as much as I do!" Soul shouted back.

I couldn't believe this was happening. They both love me. Two strong, handsome, sweet guys love me. My mind is whirling. What am I supposed to do? They're both my friends, and I care about them both. I would be lucky to have either of them. I wanted to be with Soul so badly, but then lately I have been feeling that towards Kid. But Soul is right, he and I have such a strong connection. Could Kid and I ever have that too? I'm so confused…

The guys were really fighting now. They were yelling insults at each other and knocking each other around. It started looking bad, and Liz decided to break it up.

"Guys. Guys! Knock it off! You're being idiots! You think this is going to solve anything?" she yelled, running towards them with Patty close on her heels.

I shook off my confusion and decided to help them. I took a couple of steps forward, but then…

I felt a white hot pain in my back and froze. I heard a piercing scream tear from my lips as the pain sliced upward. I felt something piercing through me, and then suddenly it was gone and I saw the ground rushing up to me. I heard several people scream my name and looked up to see the blurry figures of my friends running towards me.

Then everything went black...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Get Maka to Safety!

**~Liz's POV~**

"Guys. Guys! Knock it off! You're being idiots! You think this is going to solve anything?" I yelled at the boys, running towards them with Patty close on my heels.

I try to restrain Kid as Patty goes to grab Soul, but then we all hear an ear-splitting, agonized scream. We all immediately stop struggling and turn to see what happened…and we all froze.

Maka was still standing where I had left her, but her head was tilted back slightly, her eyes open wide and filled with pain. I see the tip of a knife protruding from her stomach and see that her back was arched in pain as if she were leaning back on the arm that had stabbed her. The knife sliced upwards and she screamed again. That snapped me out of my trance.

"_MAKA!?" _I screamed, joined by Patty, BlackStar and Tsubaki.

BlackStar had finished off their opponent and had been coming to find us, but he was now running at the pre-kishin that had attacked Maka, his face showing a fury that I had never seen before as he raised Tsubaki for the first strike.

The pre-kishin withdrew his blade and Maka dropped to the ground. Soul rushed forward and slid to his knees next to her. He scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. His face was fading from shock to a look of fear as his hand pressed to her wound.

"No no no no no, Maka. Maka stay with me. You're okay. It's not even that bad. It's not even that bad, you'll be okay. Please, Maka, wake up. _Maka!_" he yelled, shaking her slightly.

Looking over my shoulder I saw Kid rooted to his spot, his eyes wide and his mouth open. He was still shocked, so clearly he would be useless. I growled as fury boiled in my veins. BlackStar and Tsubaki were already fighting the monster, but that wasn't good enough. Maka is my friend, damnit, and _I _want to make this thing hurt for what he's done. I held my hand towards my sister.

"Patty!" I said angrily.

"Right!" she replied, her voice stony for a change.

She transformed into a pistol and fell easily into my hand. I ran closer to the pre-kishin and planted my feet shoulder-width apart, getting a solid stance. I aimed Patty at the creature and took aim, so as not to hit BlackStar. I unloaded several rounds into the pre-kishin, causing him to turn his attention to me. He roared in pain and anger and lunged at me, turning his back to BlackStar and providing him with the opening he needed.

"You like stabbing people in the back?! THEN HERE!" he screamed, plunging Tsubaki's enchanted sword form into the creature's back. He tilted his head back and screamed in pain, and I shot him in the neck, shutting him up. He fell to the ground, dead, but I was seeing red and kept firing at him even as he unraveled, releasing his soul. BlackStar put his hand on my shoulder, and I felt myself sob as I released Patty, who hugged me before running to Maka's side. I dropped to my knees next to my friend , and immediately noticed something important.

"Guys she's still breathing!" I cried, clutching Patty's arm.

Kid, who had finally snapped out of his trance and sat shaking beside Maka, reached out to touch her, but Soul tightened his grip around her and glared at him, standing up.

"I'll get her to back to Shibusen," he muttered, but before he could move, BlackStar stepped in front of him and held out his arms, looking angrily at Soul.

"I think you and Kid have done enough, Soul. Give her to me. I'm the faster runner anyway. Nobody can match the speed of a god," he said, in all seriousness.

Apparently BlackStar had gotten here in time to see Soul and Kid fighting. To see Patty and I running to stop them. To see Maka standing alone, unprotected…

Soul looked reluctant.

"SOUL! This isn't the time to be petty!" I snapped at him.

He put Maka in BackStar's arms and the blue-haired assassin took off, followed closely by Tsubaki.

"We'll take her to Death City Hospital! Shibusen is too far!" she called over her shoulder.

"Come on. We'll get there faster by air," Kid said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He held his hands out towards me and Patty. We glared at him, but nonetheless took our weapon forms.

"I'll have to make my report to father…" Kid muttered as he tucked Patty and I into holsters at his sides, which he had taken to wearing on missions in case he needed his hands free.

From my weapon form I could see him nod and draw his portable mirror out of his pocket. He started to trace Shinigami-sama's number onto the glass with one hand as he summoned Beelzebub with his other. He stopped, his hands shaking.

"Maybe you can make your report after we go see Maka…" I said to him.

I was angry at him for what happened, but he is still my meister, and he's clearly afraid. He nodded and put away the mirror. I felt us rising up and glanced down to see Soul running in the direction of the hospital. I wonder if these idiots realized that if they hadn't been fighting like that, the creature wouldn't have caught Maka with her guard down and no friends around to protect her.

This was their fault.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: My Fault

**~Soul's POV~**

The sound of my footsteps and ragged breathing resounded in my ears. My heart felt like it was made of lead, and it was pounding painfully in my chest. I felt like ice was running through my veins. Panic gripped me as I sped towards the hospital.

_Maka…Maka...Maka….Maka…_

Her name ran through my mind, accompanied my images of her with that knife through her stomach, her falling to the floor, her lying in a puddle of her own blood…

I growled and shook my head, willing myself to move faster. She has to be okay! She has to pull through! Maka can't die, not my Maka…she's too strong. She's too stubborn. She'll beat this, she has to….

I see the hospital looming in front of me. Kid beat me there. I saw him leap from his flying skateboard and hit the ground running as Liz and Patty transformed and followed him. I ran in behind them and we approached the front desk.

"A blue-haired boy came here with a girl in his arms, unconscious and bleeding. Where are they?" Kid asked frantically.

"We had her taken straight back to surgery. She's in the ER right now. If they manage to stabilize her they will move her into the ICU. The ER waiting room is that way…"

She pointed to the left and we took off running, cutting her off. One thing she said kept ringing in my ears.

_If they manage to stabilize her…If…_

We burst into the waiting room, which was empty except for two figures sitting by the wall. Tsubaki had her head in her hands, sobbing as BlackStar rubbed her back and stared vacantly at the opposite wall.

"What did they say?" Kid asked, at the same time I asked, "How is she?"

BlackStar's head snapped towards us and he glared at us, his eyes showing anger and sorrow.

Tsubaki lifted her head when she heard our voice. She had grief written all over her face and my heart sank.

Suddenly, the tall black-haired girl shot to her feet and, before I could process what was happening, she slapped me in the face. Hard. Shocked, I raised my hand to my burning cheek and stared at her in disbelief. She moved towards Kid, whose jaw had dropped in surprise, and slapped him too, tears still streaming down her face.

"_YOU TWO! _THIS IS ALL _YOUR_ FAULT! YOU WERE SO DAMN PREOCCUPIED WITH YOUR _STUPID_ RIVALRY THAT YOU LEFT MAKA UNPROTECTED WITH A _PRE-KISHIN ON THE LOOSE!_" she screamed in Kid's face, looking back and forth between him and me.

I stared at her in disbelief, my hand still glued to my cheek, which still stung. Was this really Tsubaki? God, what happened to Maka if she was this distraught…

"Tsubaki?..." I said, wanting to know about Maka.

She rounded on me, her eyes flashing.

"You're her weapon, Soul. You are supposed to ALWAYS be by Maka's side, especially when there is danger present. Do you think for _ONE SECOND_ that I would ever leave BlackStar alone and unarmed when there was a pre-kishin nearby? You were so damn caught up with being mad at Kid that you failed to do your job! You failed Maka! Your job as a weapon is to protect your meister and you let _this _happen!" she yelled at me.

My heart sank into my stomach and I felt sick. Oh death, she was right…this _is _my fault. I should never have left her side. I shouldn't have let Kid get to me. My place is by Maka's side. If I had been in my place, she wouldn't have been distracted. I could have warned her. She could have defended herself. I…I failed her…

I felt my legs going weak and walked over to the wall, leaning against it and closing my eyes. Tsubaki kept yelling, now at Kid.

"And _you_! Claiming to be in love, claiming that you're so good for her! Where were you, huh?! You were having some petty grudge fight with Soul! You drew her weapon away from her! But more than that, _you _deserted her too! We were sent out as a team so we could watch each other's backs! You, the brilliant son of Lord Death himself, didn't think a free pre-kishin was worth keeping your guard up for! You shouldn't have left Maka's side! You should've re-grouped and found the remaining monster, and then Maka would still be okay! But you just _had_ to try and show up Soul. You think that even mattered to Maka? Do you think she wanted you two fighting? She wanted to just _talk_ to you about it! And now thanks to you two _geniuses_, Maka is…she's…"

Tsubaki broke down in sobs and BlackStar got up and led her back to her seat. We all looked at him, thinking the worst.

"Star, what did the doctors say about Maka?" Liz asked, her voice shaking.

Blackstar ran his hand over his face and sat back down next to Tsubaki, pulling her over against his chest.

"The damn thing stabbed Maka through the stomach and sliced. He hit several vital internal organs. The doctor said it's a miracle she didn't bleed out before we could get her here. He said she was suffering from abdominal trauma. She had massive amounts of internal bleeding because of severe damage to her abdominal organs, namely her liver and spleen. The blade also scratched one of her lungs, which almost collapsed. They had to put her into a coma just so that they could operate her. They said it would be a miracle if they could even get her stabilized, but…but…"

BlackStar's voice broke, and he closed his eyes and looked away from us. Even he was fighting not to cry. He sighed.

"They said that her chances for survival are slim."

I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. My legs failed and I slid to the floor. I squinched my eyes closed and leaned my head back, bumping it against the wall. I can't lose Maka. I can't! What would I do without her? I couldn't ever have another meister. I couldn't ever love anyone else. I'd be alone for the rest of my life….A very short life. I won't do it. I won't live without Maka here. What kind of world would this be if she was gone?...

As if from a distance, I heard Liz and Patty trying to comfort Kid, fighting to keep back their own tears. I opened my eyes and looked over at him. He was on his hands and knees, shaking. His eyes were wide and he looked terrified and…heartbroken. I guess he really does love her…

He raised his head and his eyes met mine. A shared guilt passed between us.

We did this.

I had just closed my eyes again and drawn a deep breath when I heard the double doors open at the other side of the room. When I saw a man in a white coat enter the room, I shot to my feet, feeling anxious. Finally, we would get some news…


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: So Much for Mr. Cool

**~Soul's POV~**

"Which of you are here for Maka Albarn?" the doctor asked, looking at all of us.

"We all are," Liz said. "We were there when she was hurt. Pease…is she going to be okay?"

The doctor sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, it was very touch and go for a while, but we managed to bring her back."

My blood ran cold and I stepped forward.

"'Brought her back'? You mean…Maka died?" I asked, not believing what I heard.

The doctor nodded his head and everyone gasped.

"She only flatlined for a couple of seconds. Not even enough time for her body to begin dematerializing," he went on, trying to keep everyone calm.

Despite their anger, I felt BlackStar put his hand on my shoulder and Tsubaki stroked my arm, comfortingly. I felt numb. For a short period of time, Maka had left this world.

The doctor began talking again and I forced myself to listen.

"We managed to stabilize her for the time being. We stopped the bleeding and sealed the scratch on her lung, though she will need a respirator to breathe until it heals completely. We are going to keep her in her coma so that if complications arise we can get her straight back into surgery faster. Now, since we believe that she is out of immediate danger, we can allow you to see her. She has been moved into the ICU, so only three of you can go back at a time for twenty minute intervals. I know it isn't much, but we just can't have her room too crowded in case we need to get to her fast. That being said, who would like to go first?"

We all looked at each other for a moment, then Kid walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. I looked over at him, a little surprised. He squeezed my shoulder and managed a small grin.

"Soul, you should go first. You're her partner and…much as it pains me to say it…I know that you really do love her. Right now our rivalry is unimportant. She would want us both to be there. I will go after you with Liz and Patty," he said gently.

I nodded and muttered a thank you before following the doctor down a corridor. He led me, Tsubaki and BlackStar to a large room. In the center was a long desk with some computers and several cabinets that housed countless medical supplies. Lining the sides of the room were walls that subdivided the edges of the room into small hospital rooms, each one containing a bed and a chair. A curtain hung in the wide doorway of each of the little rooms, allowing the patients inside a little privacy while allowing doctors easy access in case they needed to move the patients quickly.

The doctor led us to one of these rooms and pulled the curtain back, stepping aside so that we could enter. I walked in and felt my heart stop. Maka was lying in a narrow hospital bed. She had a breathing mask over her mouth that was hooked up to what I assume was the respirator. Still, her chest was barely moving. She had several IV bags hanging from hooks on both sides of the bed, their tubes connecting to needles that were fixed into her arm. She looked so small and helpless…not at all like the Maka I knew. I stumbled to the seat and fell into it, unable to tear my eyes from Maka's face. I reached out, noticing that my hands were trembling, and took Maka's hand. I choked down a sob and drew Maka's arm towards me. Her skin was so pale…I rested my forehead on her arm, feeling myself coming apart. She was just so…so _still._

"She'll be okay, dude. She has to be," BlackStar said, patting me on the shoulder.

Comforting isn't his strong suit. I heard him mutter something to Tsubaki, who then knelt down next to me, placing her hand consolingly on my arm.

"Soul, Maka is going to pull through. Think about it, have you ever met anyone as strong as her? Or as stubborn?"

I shook my head, ignoring as BlackStar muttered, "Hey!"

Tsubaki shot him a "be quiet" look and kept talking.

"If anyone can fight this, it's Maka. She'll be home with you in no time, just you wait," she said, offering me a small smile.

I raised my head and looked over at her. I felt a tear escape and roll down my cheek. How uncool….

"You don't understand, Tsubaki…This is my fault. Maka is like this because of _me_. I failed her. You were right, I failed her as her weapon. I failed her as a friend. I should have stayed by her side. I should have protected her. But I let Kid get under my skin and got into some petty fight, and now my mister is near death. Whether she wakes up or not, how am I supposed to live with myself? How can I bear to look at myself in the mirror knowing that I can't even protect the woman of my love. If she…if she dies, it will be because I let her down. And what's worse…I will have never gotten to take back the things I said. She would never have known that I'm…I'm so sorry and…I just love her so much…"

I couldn't fight it anymore. I felt like my soul was falling apart at the seams. I leaned forward, crossing my arms on Maka's bed and burying my face in them. I stopped fighting it. I clutched at the blanket on the bed and let go, feeling the sobs shaking my body as the tears flowed freely.

Star gripped my shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly before he left the room. Tsubaki wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me before she stood up.

"We'll let you have some privacy," she whispered, rubbing my back before following BlackStar.

I didn't look at them. I didn't respond. I just moved the chair forward, laid my head on Maka's stomach, and cried.

"Please, Maka…please wake up…I love you…"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: You Mean More to Me Than Symmetry

**~Kid's POV~**

Tsubaki and BlackStar came back through the double doors without Soul. Liz looked at them questioningly, and BlackStar just shrugged and sat down.

"Soul needed some alone time with Maka," Tsubaki explained.

I felt a twinge in my heart at the thought of him alone with her. I know we both love Maka, but I can't help feeling like I should be the one she chooses.

_If she ever gets the chance to choose…_

I grit my teeth and shake my head. I can't think that way. This is Maka we're talking about here. Strong, smart, stubborn, beautiful Maka. She won't let this thing beat her. No matter how bad it is, she'll pull through. I just…I just know it.

Several more minutes pass and we hear a loud noise and voices coming from the other side of the double doors.

"Let go of me! I have to stay with her! She would want me to be there! Let. Me. GO!" we heard Soul yell.

The doors open with a bang and we look up and see two men in blue hospital scrubs half shoving and half dragging Soul back into the waiting room. He looked miserable, and he was struggling to go back the way they had come. He wanted to get back to Maka. I gritted my teeth and looked away.

"Sir, you have to wait out here. You can come back and visit her again later. We have time for one more group before visiting hours are over. I bet she would want her other friends there, too," one of the men said, trying to reason with Soul.

Soul stopped struggling and looked at the ground, the shadow from his bangs hiding his eyes.

"Fine…" he muttered, his voice hoarse.

He took a seat by BlackStar, his eyes not leaving the ground. Once he sat he put his head in his hands.

Liz patted my shoulder.

"Come on, Kid," she said soothingly. "It's our turn."

I got up and allowed Liz to hold onto my arm, leading my along behind the doctor as he showed us to Maka's room. When I stepped through the curtain I felt all of the air leave my lungs as if someone had punched me in the gut. I reached out shakily for the nearby chair and collapsed into it. Maka looked ghostly pale and so lifeless. I had to look closely at her chest to make sure that she was still breathing. I felt like I was struggling t breathe. The air around me seemed heavy and everything looked surreal, as if I was in a dream…or a nightmare. I couldn't move, couldn't think of anything to say. I just stared at Maka.

Liz, standing behind me, rubbed my back comfortingly. I could hear her trying not to cry. She always was the strong one. I appreciated her strength now. On the other side of the bed, Patty reached out to poke Maka's arm and seemed sad when she didn't respond. Her usually perky face twisted into a tearful grimace as she reached up and ran a hand through one of Maka's pigtails as if tryin to remind herself through touch that this was really happening. Liz squeezed my shoulder and joined her sister, wrapping her in a tight hug. I looked at Maka's face, absentmindedly reaching up to straighten her pigtails.

"Symmetry is important, you know, Maka…" I said, trying to keep my voice and myself from shaking.

Little by little, I felt my emotional control edging away.

"Is this really the time for that, Kid?" Liz scolded as Patty cried into her jacket.

I tried to grin, but the gesture felt foreign on my face right now.

"I was trying a joke…you know, in case she can hear me…" I whispered.

Liz nodded.

"What else would you want to say to her if she can hear you?" she asked, hoping, I guess, that keeping me talking might help me feel better.

I reached out and took Maka's hand, my eyes glued to her face.

"I would tell her that…that I am so, so sorry I got her hurt. I know this is all my fault. Soul's place was by her side, not fighting with me. _My _place was by her side. She should've had her weapon in her hands and her friends at her back, but instead…instead she was standing alone and defenseless when that _thing _attacked her. I…I should've protected you, Maka. What kind of man am I that can't even protect the woman I love? And I do love you, Maka. So much. Please wake up. Please, please, _please _pull through. I don't even care whether you love me back or not. You could choose me, Soul, or neither of us and I wouldn't care. As long as you are _alive_ I just want you to be happy. If…if _when_ you wake up you want to be with me, I will be the happiest man alive, and I will show you every single day that I am so grateful to have you in my life. Maka, please, just _live._ I can't imagine a word without you in it. The whole damn world could be perfectly symmetrical, and even still it would never be perfect if you were not a part of it. I love you, Maka. Please…please be okay. I'm so…so…sorry…"

I couldn't do it anymore. I stood up and wrapped my arms gently around Maka, lifting her up slightly and crying against her neck. I had wanted to hold her in my arms for a long time, but oh Death, never like this.

Liz and Patty stood quietly by the other side of the bed, comforting each other through their hug. I just continued to hold Maka in my arms. I would give anything if only I could feel her holding me back…

After a time that seemed not long enough, I heard one of the nurses enter.

"Um, excuse me," she said softly. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. You all are welcome to stay the night in the waiting room. We can provide you with cots and blankets. But we need her room clear so we can monitor her during the night."

Liz walked back over to me and grasped my arm, gently but firmly.

"Come on, Kid. It's time to go."

I nodded and sobbed one more time before kissing Maka's forehead and laying her back down onto the bed. I stroked her hair and turned to go, promising her that I would see her tomorrow. Liz called fr Patty, but the girl held up her index finger, asking for one more minute.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out something small, orange and fuzzy. Liz choked up when she saw what it was, and I grinned a little bit.

Patty lifted Maka's arm and placed her favorite stuffed giraffe under it before pulling the overs up over them both. She walked up to Liz and took her hand.

"I don't want her to get lonely tonight," Patty said sweetly. Liz smiled through her tears and the three of us went back to the waiting room.

I felt a weight settle in my stomach as I realized that it was time to report all of this to father…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Shinigami Is on the Scene

**~Lord Death's POV~**

Though the hospital was on the outskirts of Death City, somewhat far from Shibusen, I managed to get there in under half an hour. I had told Stein to accompany me, as he is even more skilled than the doctors at Death City Hospital and I wanted him to see if there was anything he could do for Maka. He borrowed Marie's car and ran several traffic lights, breaking the speed limit the whole way there. Nobody would dare pull over a car if I was in it. On the ride over I glanced over at Stein. His mouth was set in a grim line and his teeth were gritted so hard that he was nearly biting through the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. His glasses flashed with determination as he pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

He may act creepy sometimes, and he may be a little crazy, and he may on occasion hurl a scalpel at a disruptive student, but I know that he truly cares about his students, and especially these seven. But even more than that, this was Maka that was in trouble. Stein had a soft spot in his heart for Maka because he had a soft spot in his heart for Spirit. Though he never admitted it, I have known for a while that Stein has feelings for his former partner, which is perhaps why he gives him such a hard time sometimes, especially about the womanizing. Maka is the most important person in the world to Spirit, though he may not be the best parent, and so Stein would rather die than let anything happen to her.

Screeching to a halt in the hospital parking lot, Stein used his soul perception to locate the kids. We rushed into the waiting room and my heart sank at what I saw. BlackStar held a tired and mournful-looking Tsubaki in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder as he absentmindedly stroked her hair. He, too, looked sorrowful as he stared across the room, eyes glued to the double doors. Poor Soul was sitting against the wall away from the other, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms crossed over his knees. His face was buried in his arms and his shoulders were shaking. I can't even imagine what he must be going through. I start to go towards him t comfort him when Stein stops me and points to my left. I look over to see my little Kiddo sitting in a chair, slumped forward with his head in his hands and his fingers tangled in his unruly hair. He was shaking despite Liz and Patty sitting on either side of him, rubbing his back. I moved over towards him and placed a large white hand on his back.

"Kiddo…" I said, and he looked up.

His face, the face that looks so much like mine behind this mask, was paler than usual and his lips were pressed together in an attempt to keep from crying. His golden eyes were bloodshot and puffy. He had been crying.

"I'm so sorry, Kid-kun," I murmured, sitting down next to him as Liz offered me her seat.

I patted him on the back.

"You know she'll be okay, Kiddo. Stein just went back to take over care for her, and you know how skilled he is. If anyone can help her pull through it's him, and if anyone can beat an injury like this it's Maka. She's the strongest student at the school, though don't tell BlackStar I said so."

I expected at least a grin from that, but Kid only shook his head slowly.

"Father, you don't understand…this is my fault," he said quietly.

"I don't understand, son. How could this be your fault?"

In his report he only said that all three pre-kishins had been killed but that Maka was critically injured and had been rushed to the hospital. He had been too upset to say more. What was he not telling me?

He dropped his head into his hands again and spoke in a breaking voice.

"Earlier today I…I told Maka that I love her," he said as he started to cry again.

I was not surprised. I had seen the way Kid looked at Maka whenever they were together, and when they fought together he always seemed to keep an eye on her. But still, I don't understand how that makes this his fault. I waited for him to speak again.

"The problem is, Soul loves her too. And when he saw me kiss her, he freaked out and tried to say anything he could think of to get her away from me, but he didn't want to tell her that he loved her because he didn't think she would believe him. That's why he said those things that upset her so much earlier. Well, when we got to the pre-kishins, BlackStar and Tsubaki took the first one we came to, so the rest of us moved on to find the other two together. The girls and I dispatched ours easily enough, but then I looked over and saw that Maka was having trouble fighting. Because of what happened, hers and Soul's resonance was off and she couldn't wield him. The monster easily disarmed her and ran away. Well, I ran over to see if she was okay an Soul shoved me back and told me to back off. Maka blew up and yelled at him, and when he wouldn't give her her space I told him to leave her alone. Which made him yell at me and we got into a fight. I accused him of hurting her and told him that I would be better for her, but then he started yelling about how he had only said what he did to keep Maka away from me and that he felt terrible for hurting the one that he loved and he went on this big rampage about how much he loved Maka and how they were meant for each other. But I thought she should be with me. So we got into a fight, which got out of hand, and Liz and Patty came to break it up, but…that left Maka standing all alone. We…we head her…scream…and then we looked and the creature had stabbed a knife all the way through her stomach…and then…then he slashed it upwards and she fell to the ground. There was so much blood. I was frozen…I couldn't move…Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and BlackStar finished off the last pre-kishin and we rushed Maka here because it was closer than Shibusen, and…father, there was so much blood…and it's all mine and Soul's fault. We shouldn't have…left her…alone…"

He started shaking as he cried and I sat there, stunned. I could grasp that Kid loved Maka. I could grasp that Soul loved Maka. I could grasp that they felt a rivalry for her. But I would never in a million years have expected that the two of them would ever have left her alone with her guard down when there was a pre-kishin on the loose. They both knew better. I assign teams for a reason…

But when I looked down to scold Kid, I just didn't have the heart. My poor boy looked so distraught over what had happened and he clearly accepted the blame. Nothing I could say or do would make him realize the gravity of his actions more than what had happened. So instead I just patted his back and walked over to the doctor to get the specifics of Maka's condition. After I talked to him, as the doctor walked away, I felt someone tug on my robe. I looked over to see Tsubaki standing next to me.

"Excuse me, Shinigami-sama," she said, bowing low.

"What is it Tsubaki?" I asked her, curious.

"I was just wondering, where is Mr. Albarn? I know that deep down Maka would want him to be here, and he must be worried sick," she answered softly.

I felt my heart grow heavy. I hadn't called Spirit yet. My weapon cherished his little girl more than life itself.

This was going to break his heart…

I walked to a mirror hanging on the wall and called the portable mirror that Spirit carried with him in case I were to need him.

I saw black and heard the muffled giggling of several women as Spirit bragged about some fight he had been in once. The mirror must be in his pocket…and he must be at ChupaCabra's.

"Um, Death Scythe? Hellooo? Spirit, are you there?" I asked.

He drew the mirror out of his pocket and looked into it, his face gleeful as two women snuggled close to him so that they, too, could look in the mirror.

"Lord Death! Hello, there. What's the problem? You couldn't possibly need me for a mission at 1am," he said cheerfully.

It made this so much harder that he was in such a good mood.

"Spirit…it's about your daughter."

Instantly, his face became serious and, brushing off the girls next to him, he stood up.

"Maka? What's wrong? Is she okay?"

I sighed, and his face grew concerned.

"I'm afraid not, Spirit. She was badly injured in a fight tonight. She is in critical condition at Death City Hospital. She…"

Spirit dropped the mirror before I could finish. I continued watching as it fell to the floor, and then it went black. The glass had shattered.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Blame Game

**~Spirit's POV~**

I threw the hospital doors open and ran to the front desk. I had felt panic growing in my heart since I got the call from Shinigami. Critical condition? How bad is she? I braced myself against the reception desk and started to ask for her, but before I could speak I heard a gentle voice speak my name.

"Mr. Death Scythe, sir?"

I turned to see a tall, dark haired girl standing beside me. Though her long black ponytail had almost completely come undone and her eyes were red and puffy, I recognized her instantly as one of my Maka's friends.

"Shinigami-sama sent me here to wait for you. I will take you up to the waiting room," the girl, I think her name is Tsubaki, put a comforting hand on my arm and led me down a nearby hallway.

"Tsubaki, is it?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"What…Can you tell me what happened?" I asked, trying to keep my panic out of my voice, knowing I wasn't succeeding.

She told me everything, starting rom the events of that afternoon and ending with that BackStar boy handing Maka over to the doctors. With every word she said I felt myself growing more and more furious. By the time we reached the door to the waiting room, I could feel my fists clenched so tightly that my palms were throbbing. We walked into the waiting room and I saw Lord Death and all of Maka's friends. But through the haze of red that had settled in my mind, only two faces came into view. They were sitting far apart, so I went for the closest one; Maka's little white-haired scythe partner. The one she was trying so hard to make into a better scythe than me. The one she trusted. The one she called her friend. _The one who had let her down._

I grabbed the boy by his collar and pulled him to his feet. He didn't look surprised. He looked almost like he had been waiting for me. I saw guilt in his eyes. Not good enough. Without thinking I drew back my fist and slammed it into the side of his face. He fell back against the wall and I grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground and slamming him against the wall again.

"Is it true? You left her standing there alone with that monster nearby? You deserted my daughter, your meister, in the midst of danger?" I asked him, not able to keep my voice from rising.

He wouldn't look me in the eyes, so I knew I was right. I slammed him against the wall another time and he winced in pain. Pain? He doesn't know the meaning of the word. My baby girl is near death because of his mistake. I can _make _him feel pain.

"Why? I want you to tell me why! What was so DAMN IMPORTANT that you, you pathetic excuse for a weapon, left her unprotected? Weapons are supposed to be ready to _die_ for their meisters! And _scythes _are supposed to be _strong_! So tell me why you let this happen!" I yelled at him.

He didn't say anything. I could see he was shaking. I could see he'd been crying. But I didn't care. Suddenly I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. I look over to see the other one, Death the Kid, standing beside me.

"Mr. Albarn, sir, it isn't all his fault. It is mine as well. I failed your daughter, too. I'm so sorry," he said, bowing low.

His eyes, too, were filled with guilt, but this one looked me in the eye.

Somehow that made it worse.

I released my grip on the scythe boy and he slid to the floor. I shoved Kid with surprising force and he stumbled back.

"Oh, I know it's your fault too! You, her friend, her teammate, you let her down just as much as _he_ did!" I yelled, pointing at the scythe kid. "Why do you think Lord Death assigns team, huh? Why do you think he sent you all out _together_? You were supposed to watch each other's backs! And you, _little lord_, of all people should have understood the danger at hand!"

Now his eyes dropped to the ground, too. I took a step back so I could look at them both.

"So you love my daughter, do you? Both of you. Do you even know what love _is_? When you love someone you always think of them, always put them first! That person is _everything_ to you! If you loved my daughter, you would _never_ have left her side! You would have stood by her, fought for her, bled for her! You wouldn't have been fighting _over _her! What were you even planning to accomplish? Do you think she's the type to be impressed by a freaking power display? No! She would want you to talk to her! To prove yourselves to her! She…"

"How would you know?" I heard the scythe boy say in a hard voice.

I focused on him as he rose to his feet. His fists were clenched, his body was shaking, and he had tears on his cheeks, but his bangs shadowed his eyes, hiding them.

"_What_ did you say?" I demanded.

"How would you know what she would want? How would you know what kind of girl she is? How would you even know what love is?" he continued.

Anger closed around my heart like an iron vice, and I slowly walked towards the kid. Soul. I stood in front of him, and then he looked up. He was the same height as me, and he looked right into my eyes, and in those red orbs I saw something else replace his guilt for the time being. I saw anger. I started to speak, but he cut me off.

"You come in here accusing us of getting Maka hurt. But we know this is our fault. We were there. We got distracted, we made a mistake, and she got hurt. We _hate_ ourselves for what has happened. We _saw_ that thing….cut her. We were _there_. Where were you? When your daughter was on a dangerous mission, risking her life, where were you? When she was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, where were you? When the doctors were discussing her injuries, where were you? You were at some bar trying to get laid. Let me ask you, did Maka cross your mind even once while you were there? For one moment, did it occur to you that she was in danger? Did you worry? No, you just downed another drink and flirted with some girl whose name I doubt you even remember. So, all due respect, _sir_, you don't have the right to come in here and disrupt our mourning. We have been here this whole time, crying, screaming, being afraid for her. And you just now arrived. More than that, _I _have listened patiently to Maka rant about your incessant whoring. _I _have been her shoulder to cry on when she thinks about how you betrayed her and her mother and gets sad. And do you know why I was afraid to tell her I love her? Because of you. Because she is so guarded, so distrustful of men that she won't let one get close enough to love her, and I was afraid that telling her would make her pull away from me. So, in a way, this is _your _fault too. And if…if Maka…if she doesn't make it, you will have _never known _the woman she has grown into. You…."

I had heard enough. I lost it. I hated this brat. Hated him. _How dare he! _I swung at him again _and he dodged_! Damn him! I felt blades come out of my back as I dropped into a fights stance. His arm morphed into a scythe and he glared at me. I will kill him for saying those things….

Then I felt a firm but gentle hand on my arm. I looked over my shoulder to see Stein standing behind me. His face was neutral, but through his glasses I could see something close to tenderness in his eyes.

"Spirit, what are you doing? Maka loves her friends. She would be angry with you for this," he said, matter-of-factly.

I knew he was right. I dropped my eyes to the floor and withdrew my blades. I'm sorry, Maka…

"And Soul. Have you not had enough pointless fighting for the day? Stop this," he said, his teacher voice coming through a little.

Soul glared at me, but he, too, retracted his blades and returned to his seat against the wall. Tsubaki went over to calm him down. Kid went and sat next to his weapons and his father, who was pretending that he hadn't seen what just happened. I turned to Stein.

"How is she? Please tell me she'll be okay…please," I begged him, looking up from the floor and into his eyes.

For a moment his face softened in a way that I had never seen before. Then the moment passed and he was himself.

"Follow me, I'll take you to her," he said, walking back through the double doors.

"Dr. Stein, sir, visiting hours are over," a petite nurse said, trying to stop him, but Stein waved her away.

"A father has every right to see his daughter," he said firmly, and the woman didn't dare argue.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Parent's Worst Nightmare

**~Stein's POV~**

I glanced sideways at Spirit out of the corner of my eye. He was looking at the floor, his bangs falling into his eyes. His face carried a solemn, pained expression that I rarely saw on him. Even when he was upset about Maka's rejection or his failed marriage, his sorrow was more…comical. But now his eyes were glazed over as he retreated into his own world of fear and sorrow. He looked devastated, and it made my heart ache. I love Spirit for his attitude, his enthusiasm, his passion, every quirky facet of his personality. I love him for his _soul_. And right now, that soul was dim and quivering with the fear of losing the baby girl that he had loved so completely since the day she was born. I gritted my teeth in determination. I will not let him lose her. Her death would be the death of Spirit, and I could never let that happen. I _will_ save Maka.

We reached her room, but before he could walk through the curtain, I put my hand on his arm to stop him.

"Spirit…I need to warn you. Maka was very _very_ badly hurt. You need to brace yourself, alright? We are not out of the woods yet. We are keeping her in this coma so that we could get her into surgery quickly if something happens. Until we are certain that she is out of danger, we can't let her wake up. But…if you have anything you would like to say to her she may be able to still hear you. Just…keep that in mind," I told him.

He held my gaze for a moment and nodded slowly, speechless for one of the first times since I've met him. I sighed and pulled back the curtain. Motioning for him to step inside. He took a deep breath and entered the room.

When he saw Maka, he froze. I walked up next to him and looked over at him. He was looking at Maka, but his hair was hiding his eyes so I couldn't see his emotions. After a moment, he walked slowly towards the bed. I noticed his hands trembling as he took the sides of Maka's blanket and tugged them up to her neck. I felt a weight settle in my stomach as I watched the simple parental gesture performed in this context. He pushed her bangs out of her eyes and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He lingered there for a moment and I heard a sob escape from his lips before he sank down to sit on the edge of the bed. He drew himself away from Maka a little, but he remained slumped forward, his hands clutching the blanket in front of him. His shoulders were shaking slightly now, too, and I knew that he was crying. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Spirit. She has her mother's strength, you once told me that yourself. She'll get through this," I told him, keeping my voice level.

Spirit put his elbows on his knees and leaned onto them, his hands clasped together and his hair still falling in his face. Still, I saw tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Did you hear what the scythe kid said to me?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"I did," I replied evenly.

I couldn't let him see how much his tears affected me. He needed me to be Stein the level-headed doctor right now. He was silent for a moment, so I prodded him to go on.

"What about it?" I asked him, unsure where he was going with this.

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

"He was right…"

I felt shocked. I started to say something to try and comfort him, but he shook his head and looked up at me, his eyes swimming.

"Don't lie to me and tell me I'm wrong, Stein. He was right. I saw Maka just this morning, you know. She was on her lunch break and was going to a café near school with a couple of her friends. I was out with some woman, some brunette waitress from a nearby restaurant. I don't remember her name. I went to say hey to Maka. I told her I loved her, but she just rolled her eyes and walked away. I wanted to go after her, to talk to her, but that woman tugged on my arm and told me she wanted to go shopping. She pouted up at me. That's all it took, and I left Maka behind and didn't look back. I knew she had a dangerous mission tonight. But I didn't consider that she might get hurt. I guess I took her strength for granted. Most parents would have been waiting up to see if their kids were okay. They would be worried. But there I was at that damned bar. I…death help me, he was right, she didn't cross my mind once. I was just bragging and bragging about myself, flirting with those women, and Maka…she was bleeding, dying, and…I just didn't even think of her. I'm a _horrible_ father…And he was right about everything else, too. How different would she have been if I had been loyal to Kami. If I had put my family before all those women whose faces I don't even remember. I have hurt my own daughter, and now she's lying here in a hospital bed, so close to death, and I don't even know her…my own little girl…"

He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, his elbows still propped on his knees. I have never heard Spirit talk like this. He always tries to defend himself, convince himself that he really did love his ex-wife, make excuses; he had never admitted his faults, and certainly not to this extent…

I sat on the chair in front of him and put my hand on his arm, lowering his hand so that he looked up at me.

"So what are you going to do about it?" I asked him bluntly.

He looked confused.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" he asked, wiping his eyes.

"Well, now you have admitted your faults, so what are you going to do about them? What will you do when Maka wakes up? Will you continue acting like you have been, or will you fix it, be the father that she needs you to be? You're not 18 anymore, Spirit, you're a man. And a father."

He looked over at Maka and reached out to take her hand.

"You know what…you're right. I need to grow up. From now on, I'm going to act like I should have been acting all along. No more boozing, no more sleeping around, it's over. Maka has always been the most important part of my life, but from now on I will actually show her that. If…if she'll just pull through this, I'll be the father I should have been all along…"

I grinned to myself as he petted his daughter's hair. I have to admit, the thought of him not chasing after countless women anymore pleases me. Suddenly, I heard a beep. My eyes shot towards the monitors as I heard Spirit's voice gain a little hope.

"Maka?...Baby?...Did you hear me?"

That's when it happened.

The respirator started beeping as it dropped to an alarmingly slow pace. Alarms and warnings started sounding off all over the room. Spirit looked at me in alarm.

"Stein?! What the hell is happening?"

I rushed to the drawer by Maka's bedside and rummaged frantically around for a syringe and a single vial of bright blue liquid.

I glanced up as I drew the vial out of the drawer. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and a trickle of blood had begun to stream from her mouth.

Spirit put his hands on her shoulders, holding her tightly.

"MAKA?! MAKA! _STEIN DO SOMETHING_!" he screamed, his voice full of indescribable pain and panic

Damn it! I was afraid of this! We weren't able to stop the internal bleeding permanently, and it looked like the dam had just broken. I don't know if I can stop this. She only has one hope now…

I shoved Spirit back as I jammed the syringe into Maka's IV, the blue liquid flowing down into her veins, illuminating them for a brief moment.

It's time for the biggest experiment of my life.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: We All Fall Down

**~Soul's POV~**

"Soul, you have to go home and get some rest. You look awful," Tsubaki said, looking at me imploringly.

"Yeah, you're one to talk. We all look awful," I muttered.

Before she could say anything else, a nurse approached the little group of friends, Shinigami standing behind her.

"Normally we don't allow this, but Shinigami-sama has requested that we allow you all to stay here for tonight. We have some cots and blankets available for whomever wants to stay," she said, smiling kindly.

We all agreed to stay, but before the nurse could bring out any cots, we heard a heart wrenching scream come from the direction of the ICU. I recognized the voice, and for a moment my blood ran cold.

"MAKA?! MAKA! STEIN DO SOMETHING!"

"NO!" I yelled, at the same time I heard Kid yell, "MAKA!"

The two of us bolted through the double doors, and I vaguely heard father tell someone to get the others to the Death Room immediately. Kid and I ran through the hallways, knocking people out of our way without caring enough to look back. I had only one thought. I had to get to Maka.

We drew closer to her room, and I heard Spirit yelling for someone to help.

_No no no NO! _

I burst through the curtain just in front of Kid and froze in horror. Monitors were beeping all over the room, accompanied by Spirit's frantic shouting. Stein and a few nurses were rushing around Maka frantically, a fervor resembling madness set on Stein's scarred face. But the most horrific sight of all was Maka. Her skin was ghostly pale, she was drenched in sweat, her body was shaking violently, and blood was flowing from her mouth. Spirit was leaning heavily against a corner as if someone had shoved him into it. More than likely Stein had shoved him out of the way. I felt panic clutching my heart.

I try to rush to Maka's side. I could only register one thought in my mind through the fog of panic.

_Maka! I have to save Maka! I have to be by her side, then she'll be okay!_

I started to rush towards her, but I felt a large hand holding me back. I looked down to see one of Shinigami's large white hands pressing against my chest, his arm wrapped around me from behind. I hear frantic yelling next to me, though through my haze it sounded far away. I glanced over to see Kid struggling against the same grip in which I was imprisoned, but it was no use. Shinigami was too strong. I looked on helplessly as doctors and nurses fervidly worked on Maka. We heard a scream tear from her lips ad Spirit rushed towards her bedside, only to be shoved away by Stein. We see Stein pressing two charged paddles to Maka's chest, once, twice, again. That's when it hit me.

Maka was dying…

Feeling numbness start to wash over my body, I looked on helplessly as my meister, my best friend, _my love_ slipped away before my very eyes. Everything seemed to be happening in some sort of dreamlike reality where I saw everything, every detail. Maka's body jolted with each charge of the paddles. Sweat ran down Stein's usually calm face as his eyes burned with determination. Suddenly, his eyes widened and, with slightly trembling hands, he dropped the paddles. They hit the floor with a sound like thunder in my ears as Stein braced his hands on the edge of Maka's bed, leaning his weight on them and bowing his head in…defeat?

_No!_

Every other sound faded into the background as one rose louder and louder, resounding in my head. One long, low, steady beep. Over that beep, I heard the words that I had been dreading since I saw that knife in Maka's chest. The words echoed through my mind, even louder than that dreadful beep. Stein's voice was steady, but his tone was grim.

"Time of death…2:15am…"

Spirit's scream split the room as he rushed to the bed and shook her. She was so limp and lifeless…I felt sick. I wanted to tell him to stop shaking her, but I couldn't speak. My tongue felt like lead. So did my feet. Stein went to restrain Spirit, but Shinigami got to him first, pulling him out of the room. I could hear his sobs growing more and more distant until they were gone. Stein backed away from the bed and looked at me, then Kid. I finally forced my legs to move. My feet dragged as I moved towards Maka's bed. I felt like I was in a dream. Every move I made was heavy and weighted. I sank down onto the edge of Maka's bed. I reached forward to wipe the blood from her mouth. I stroked her cheek. She looked like she was sleeping….

She wasn't sleeping. She was gone.

_My Maka is gone…_

I climb into the bed next to her and pull her close…pull _her body_ close…and bury my face in her hair.

_I'm so…so…sorry…please forgive me…_

And for the hundredth time that night, I cried as my world fell apart.

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! So, please don't kill me! I know this is super sad, but I'm building towards the big quest that was mentioned in the summary. This story is only just getting started. Just grab some chocolate ice cream and read through the tears!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A New Hope?

**~Kid's POV~**

I heard the monitor flatline. I heard Stein call time of death. I heard the blood curdling scream of a father who had just watched his child slip away forever. My father let go of me and moved to Spirit and I fell to the floor. I heard my knees hit the tile with a loud thud. I heard my own tears hitting the ground. I watched Soul move towards the bed. I saw Stein silently walk past me into the large main room. But none of it sunk in. None of it registered. I felt like my head was spinning as I looked up at Soul, my rival, weeping over the body of Maka, my first and only love. I felt like I was having a vivid nightmare and I was waiting to wake up. But the scene just kept playing and playing, and it wouldn't stop.

Two nurses came into the room.

"Um…I'm so sorry, but…you both need to leave...," one of them said, softly.

Soul stiffened and went quiet. I sensed trouble, so I dragged myself to my feet. I watched as he sat up slowly and cast his red eyes venomously at the nurse. She took a step back.

"Why?" he asked, darkly.

The second nurse stepped forward.

"We've…we've been instructed to…move the body," she said, frightened.

I felt something hazy stir in my mind. Something wasn't right, and I couldn't put my finger on it. What wasn't right, here?...

Soul growled viciously and rose to his feet. I watched in shock as his right arm transformed into a blade.

"Soul…" I began, but he couldn't hear me.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Her," he snarled at the nurses.

"Sir…I'm so sorry, but your friend is dead, and we have orders…," the nurse began again, but Soul cut her off.

"NO! You won't take her away from me!"

I looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. This was not the Soul I knew. He was crazy.

"Soul, she would not want you to behave this way…," I said gently.

He heard that, and he dissolved his blade, but he still wouldn't stand down.

Before I could speak, Stein appeared behind the shaky nurses.

"Soul, stop this. They are taking her to Shibusen. I will take you and Kid. You have been summoned to the Death Room with the others. Now. It's about Maka," he said evenly.

The light glared off his glasses, shielding his eyes and making his expression impossible to read.

Shaking, Soul looked back at Maka. There was no point in us fighting anymore. If anything, we understood each other better in this moment than anyone ever would. I approached him and put my hand on his arm reassuringly. His tearful gaze met with mine. I couldn't find anything to say that would make him hurt less. I couldn't think of anything that would make _me_ hurt less. But it seemed to register in his mind that he wasn't alone. His eyes dropped to the floor and he walked towards the door. I stayed by him, and we followed Stein outside to Marie's car. Vaguely I heard him telling us that the nurses were taking Maka to his lab at Shibusen. Something was still buzzing around in my head that I couldn't put my finger on. Even as we sped through the night the thought kept alluding me. I knew it was something that should be obvious…

_But what is it?..._

Soul, Stein and I enter the death room. My father and Spirit are there already. Father's trued expression was, of course, hidden behind his mask, but even that white skull seemed to show sorrow. Spirit looked almost unrecognizable. It was as if Maka took his life with her when she died. His face was gaunt and his usually fiery red hair seemed dull and limp. His eyes were hollow as he stared absently at the floor while his arms hung flaccidly by his side. He looked close to death himself. The others were there already, too, and must have been informed of what happened. Tsubaki was on her knees, weeping onto BlackStar's shoulder as he knelt beside her, trying to look strong. Liz and Patty were hugging each other and crying. When they heard us enter, all of them but Spirit looked up. Tsubaki ran to Soul and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing onto his chest.

"I can't believe it, I can't believe she's gone! Nothing will be the same without her! Oh, Soul, I'm so sorry!" she cried, as Soul wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes tight as if to block out the pain.

Liz and Patty ran to me and I pulled them both close. I took a little comfort from their presence, but I still felt as if I was in a dream. I almost found myself looking around for Maka, waiting for her to walk in and ask what all the fuss is about.

When I saw her she looked like she'd been sleeping…

And that's when it hit me.

I can't believe it had taken me this long to figure out! I had been so numbed by shock and grief that I missed one glaringly obvious anomaly in this whole tragic ordeal.

_Maka's body didn't dematerialize! Maka's body is still here!_

I snapped my head around to look at Stein, and he smirked ever so slightly.

"I see you have figured out why we are here," he said calmly.

He approached father's mirror and stood next to it in Spirit's usual place.

"I know you all are in the throes of grief, but if you would kindly give me your attention, I have something to say that you will all find quite worth hearing."

I shrugged away from my weapons and moved forward, my eyes moving back and forth between Stein and my father, who was standing beside him in front of his mirror.

_He knew…_

If my father was in on it, I knew that whatever Stein was about to say, it was going to be world-alteringly big. And, sure enough, he didn't disappoint.

"There may be a way to bring Maka back."

For a moment, all of our hearts stopped as Stein's glasses glinted down at us, and as he took in our no doubt shocked expressions, the hint of his usual mad scientist smile crept across his face.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Most Dangerous Mission

**~Stein's POV~**

I couldn't help but smirk at the shocked looks on all of their faces. I refrained from chuckling, because I do have some manner of respect, but I am a scientist at heart and nothing pleases me more than making a discovery that merits shock and awe.

The students all fell into line side by side as they looked up at Lord Death and me. I cast a sidelong glance at Spirit, who was standing a little off to the side rather than here in his usual place. He was looking at me with a mixture of disbelief and hope. I met his gaze and felt the corners of my mouth twitch upwards as my smirk grew into a smile. He moved closer to hear what I had to say, looking up at us as the students did.

"What do you mean that you might ca bring her back?" Kid asked, balancing somewhere between shock and confusion.

"Maka died, didn't she? How do you come back from that?" Soul added.

I removed my glasses and polished them with a corer of my lab coat as I posed a question of my own.

"Death the Kid, would you kindly share with the class the realization that I believe you reached moments ago? I'm sure they have notied it, too, but like you they thought nothing of it until now."

The students all turned their eyes towards Kid, but his eyes remained glued to me, and I could see hope shining in them.

"Maka's body didn't dematerialize like it should have. Usually when a person dies, their body unravels as their soul is released. But for some reason, Maka's body stayed behind."

I offered him a smile and nodded.

"Wait, he's right!" Soul exclaimed, hope dawning in his eyes as well. "I didn't even think about it, but her body did stay in one piece! I know I…well, I just know. I saw."

I offered him a compassionate grin as well. I saw how he wept over the body of his beloved partner, though I'm sure he would rather no one mention it.

"But…how is that possible? Is there something wrong?" Liz asked, confused.

I shook my head and put my glasses back on, pushing them up my nose as I thought out my explanation.

"When I arrived at the hospital, Maka was already close to death. I had my hopes, of course, but I strongly suspected that she would not live through the night. So I injected her with a little experiment of mine; something my curiosity has been driving me to perfect. Only Lord Death knew of the experiment, because its success would have serious ramifications for the world, and especially for weapons and meisters. Spirit, do you remember the blue liquid tht I injected nto Maka?"

He nodded, his eyes glued to mine. He looked so hopeful…I hope to Death I don't let him down.

"That was what I call Serum L2, the culmination of months of research and testing. It was the first stable formula that I was able to create, and I hadn't planned on having to use it so soon, but…well…there never could be a better cause."

A very sad but very real grin flickered over Spirit's face, and I thanked my lucky stars I had been able to complete at least one vial of the serum in time.

"So what exactly does this formula thing _do_?" BlackStar asked.

"Well I didn't know if it would even work, but it was a gamble that happened to pay off. What it _does_, BackStar, is prevent a body from disappearing even after its soul has left. It starts with the blood and then takes root in every fiber of a person's physical being until their body is anchored, so to speak, to this world."

I heard Kid and Tsubaki both gasp. Of course they would be the ones who would understand what this means.

"So…Professor Stein, are you saying that we could find a way to put Maka's soul _back_?" Tsubaki asked, her fist clutched over her heart as her eyes teared up with hope.

Before I could speak, Liz interrupted.

"Wait, so then wouldn't she basically be a zombie? Cause there have been zombies already, just look at Sid. They didn't use any formula…did they?"

I chuckled.

"No, Sid was a whole different experiment. And most other zombies, the bad kind, are brought back from magic to be used by witches, but their bodies eventually deteriorate as well, making zombification really a temporary fix. I have kept Maka's body in the physical world, and it is still human. My theory, and I am sorry but, as there has never been a precedent for this, it is still only a theory, is that if we could return Maka's soul to her body, reconnecting the physical with the spiritual, she may come back to life as a perfectly healthy human girl. She won't be _completely_ healed, of course, but since she has already died, the worst would be over. Ideally she would only recover from that point on."

The students all stared at me with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Finally, Soul spoke up.

"Professor…I want so badly to believe that this would work. I would give anything, even my own soul, to bring Maka back. But…how do we even begin to know how to retrieve her soul?"

At this, I looked at Lord Death, and the students' eyes followed mine. Lord Death tilted his head and behind his mask I could hear a small smile.

"Who am I?" he asked.

"You're Lord Death, of course," BlackStar answered, seeming proud of his answer despite how obvious it was.

"And _what_ am I?" Lord Death inquired again.

This time Tsubaki chimed in.

"You are Shinigami, the god of death."

Lord Death nodded and threw up a peace sign.

"Exactly. And as such, I do have certain pull when it comes to the afterlife. Now, understand that I can only make _exceptions_, not bend the rules for everyone who comes to me with a sad story. But this is Maka, one of my dearest students, best meisters, the daughter of my own favorite weapon, and furthermore, she is the girl my son loves."

I cast my eyes over to see Kid look at his father with eyes full of emotion while Soul flinched as if he had been struck.

_Oh, my…this little love triangle is more serious than I thought. This isn't puppy love, this is real…_

I watched the boys, curiosity growing, as Lord Death continued to explain his plan.

"I am sure you all have heard of Charon, yes?"

All but Tsubaki and Kid shook their heads. I sighed. What do these kids do in history and literature classes? Doodle?

"Charon is the boatman of the River Styx. When anyone dies, their souls, if not eaten, are drawn to him, and he ferries them into the Underworld. He is as old as the line of Shinigami, and each of us has had direct dealings with him at some point in our reigns. Well, believe it or not, he owes me a favor. It's a long story, but the point is that I believe he will ferry living souls into the Underworld at my request. Once in the Underworld, they could search out Maka's soul. Now, because the Underworld is meant only for the dead, a sort of escape hatch exists that only living human beings can pass through, just in case anyone ever became trapped in the Underworld who wasn't meant to be there. Once Maka's soul has been found, there may be a way to jump her soul through that portal along with the living, sort of like piggybacking. Once out of the Underworld, all that would remain would be to bring Maka's soul back here to Shibusen so that we could attempt to return it to her body."

"Well, let's do it then!" BlackStar shouted, fist pumping as he jumped in determination.

"Yeah!" Liz and Patty exclaimed in unison, their eyes showing the fire that always accompanies strong resolve.

I looked each of the students over. Their despair had been replaced with fierce and loyal determination, but I knew there was a catch.

"Actually…only two of you can go," Lord Death interrupted. "The Underworld is a fearsome and terrible place for the living. It is far too dangerous for anyone to go alone, but it is also too dangerous for too great a number. Two living souls in the Underworld may draw some attention, but if you are sneaky you can fly under the radar. However, any more than two would cause such a stir in the balance of the Underworld that you would be fighting off monsters and ghosts left and right. Also, even if all of you could make it to the portal, if too many pass through at once it may think that it is being deceived and shut down. No, only two of you can take on this mission."

Spirit stepped forward and for a moment my heart sank. I want to save Maka, but I don't want Spirit in harm's way.

"I volunteer to go. She's my daughter, and I need to save her. I have to protect her like I should have when she was here," he offered, but, to my surprise, Lord Death shook his head.

"I'm afraid that can't happen, Spirit. I need you here. While I was waiting for you all to arrive I received a disturbing message from the witch Eruka who, as you know, was one of the witches who chose to participate in the treaty with the DWMA. As it turns out, one of the nurses at the hospital was an undercover witch, told to report unusual activity to the grand witch, who was never on board with the treaty. She has been leading an underground group of rebel witches whose purpose will always be to bring down the DWMA and take over the world. Eruka and her partner, Free, have been monitoring their activity for us. News of Stein's formula has reached the ears of the grand witch, and she wants it. With the power to keep bodies anchored to the world, they would be able to create a whole new race of zombies; ones who do not fall apart but can fight with all of the vigor of a living person with ten times the strength. They couldn't be killed and pain would not register to them. They would be without fear or feeling. Such an army would be catastrophic for us as it would give the witches an insurmountable advantage; an indestructible army of their very own, like a pack of wild dogs on a leash. Spirit, I need you and the other teachers and Death Scythes to remain here to help me guard Professor Stein and his lab, as well as Maka's body. Not only would the witches not want to see the wielder of the Witch Hunter technique come back to life, they would also see Maka's body as an asset. They know how powerful she was and they would love to have her as one of their soldiers."

Spirit gritted his teeth and nodded grimly.

"I will never let that happen," he said darkly. "Then who will you send?"

Before Lord Death could speak, Soul stepped forward.

"Please, let me go. I need to make this right. I have to save Maka," he said solemnly.

"Soul," Lord Death replied, "You are a powerful weapon, but you are not yet able to wield yourself. I must send a weapon and meister team."

"Father…allow me to go with Soul. This tragedy is on both of our hands. And besides, we love Maka. We will fight to save her," Kid replied, stepping forward.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo, but you can't wield Soul," Lord Death began, shaking his head, but I stepped forward to interject.

"Actually, these two may be the perfect choice," I said, looking the teens over thoughtfully. "Though we do not know how their souls would resonate under normal circumstances, they may resonate splendidly right now. These two understand each other in a way that the rest of you could not. They have both lost the woman they love. They have a shared love, a shared grief, a shared sense of guilt, and most importantly they have a shared sense of determination. They both refuse to abandon Maka. It is possible that, given the situation, they would make an exceptionally strong pair."

Lord Death nodded, thinking it over.

"You may be right, Professor Stein. Boys, would you mind a practice run?" he asked.

Soul and Kid exchanged a glance and Kid held out his hand. Soul nodded and jumped into the air, transforming into his scythe form. Kid caught him like it was the most natural thing in the world, twirling him expertly and dropping into a fight stance. Everyone looked on, surprised, but I expected that this would work. I am a bit of an expert on Souls.

"Well, it's decided. Kiddo, you and Soul will go and find Maka's soul. I hope you realize that this mission is unlike any you have ever faced. This will make fighting the kishin look tame. Are you absolutely certain you are up for this?" Lord Death asked.

Soul's human form appeared in his blade, and he and Kid nodded and spoke in unison.

"Yes sir."

"Very well," I stated. "I will stay with Maka. I promise you that when you return, she will be ready for the return of her soul. The death scythes have been summoned and the other teachers are already informed of the situation. The students who did not wish to fight have all been sent home, though several chose to stay. After all, Shibusen students look after their own."

I looked at the others: BlackStar, Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty.

"You all, of course, are welcome to leave," I said, though I already knew their responses.

"NO WAY! I AM THE GREAT BLACKSTAR AND NO ARMY OF LAME WITCHES WILL DEFEAT ME OR HURT MY FRIEND! LET'S DO THIS!" BlackStar shouted.

His weapon nodded resolutely, her fist clutched against her chest.

"No way are we gonna miss out on this! We'll make sure they don't get anywhere near Maka!" Liz exclaimed.

Patty jumped in the air, fist pumping.

"No lamo witches can get the drop on the Thompson sisters!" she shouted gleefully as she and her sister high-fived.

Sometimes I forget how courageous and dedicated our students are. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Spirit standing there. His hand remained on my shoulder as he looked me in the eyes. I could see hope, but also fear.

"Do you really think they have a chance? Can this really work?" he asked.

I nodded and patted his shoulder.

"It isn't a guarantee, but it's a good chance. Trust me."

He nodded and looked at Soul, who had returned to human form, and Kid. He walked over to them.

"I know what I said at the hospital. And I still stand by it. What happened to my daughter is on you. But…I know you must care for her if you're risking your lives to save her. My little girl means more to me than anything. If you bring her back to me, I will forgive you for getting her hurt."

The boys nodded and Spirit patted each of them on the back.

"Are you ready?" Lord Death asked, and both boys nodded.

Lord Death waved his hand over his mirror, causing it to ripple. When it settled, an image of a forest appeared and, in the distance, a wide gray river.

"This is as close as I can get you boys to Styx. You have to understand, once I close this portal, I will not be able to communicate with you again. I will not even be able to watch. Tell Charon that Shinigami is calling in a favor. After that, everything is up to you."

Soul and Kid nodded and we all wished them luck.

And with that, they stepped through the mirror.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Crossing the River

**~Soul's POV~**

Passing through the mirror was awkward for two reasons. First, it felt bizarre. The mirror rippled as we stepped through, and I felt like I was walking through a thick clear gel. It didn't take us straight through to the other side where the forest and river lay waiting. Instead it was as if we were floating in blackness, and when I looked around I saw countless millions of little windows into other places. Other mirrors. This must be how Lord Death can pop in from one place to another.

The other reason the journey was awkward was because I wasn't a Shinigami. Only Shinigami could travel this way, unless they take a human as a passenger. Through contact. I had to hold Kid's hand. Sooooo uncool.

_Do it for Maka. Do it for Maka. Jeez, his palms are way too clammy, this is weird. Do it for Maka._

After a few seconds Kid and I were standing in the forest. The trees around us were unnaturally tall and very beautiful, but they were dark in some way; kind of gloomy. We turned to face the mirror we had just stepped out of to see Lord Death and all of our friends in the Death Room. I waved, and they all snickered a bit. I tilted my head in confusion and BlackStar held up his hand and pointed at it. I felt even more confused for a second before I looked down at my own hand. I realized that Kid and I were still holding hands at the same time he did, and we jerked away from each other quickly. Again, so freaking uncool.

Lord Death made the others stop laughing before turning to face us.

"Alright you two, this is as far as I can go with you. I cannot get too close to the Underworld. It is out of my jurisdiction. Once the souls make it safely to that forest they are under Charon's care, not mine. I will not be able to watch you or even communicate with you again, so pay close attention to what I say now, understand?"

Kid and I both nodded.

"Right. Well first I cannot stress how imperative it is that you do not call attention to yourselves. Keep your heads down, find Maka as fast as you can and then get out. I don't know much about the Underworld, Charon will fill you in more on that, but I can tell you that a soul as good and pure as Maka's would have gone to Paradise. That part of the Underworld is near the portal. In fact you must pass through it to reach the portal. Now, because the portal was designed as a sort of emergency escape hatch for living souls, you two will feel naturally drawn to it. It will feel like something is tugging at your soul, leading it in a certain direction. All you have to do is follow that and you should be able to find Maka and the portal fairly simply. Are you with me so far?"

We nodded again.

"Okay. Now, when you find Maka, one of you will have to absorb her soul. Her soul by itself will not even be able to get near the portal because its energy repels souls that belong in the Underworld. The ritual is simple. Do you remember how, during the battle against Asura, Soul was momentarily lost to the madness? Maka allowed their bond to take over and sent her soul into his to help him find his way out. This will essentially be the same thing, except a little blood needs to be shed. Cut your palm and hold out your hand to Maka. You can't steal a soul from the Underworld, so she will have to accept your hand as a sign that she is leaving of her own free will. When her hand is in yours, focus on your bond with her. I don't know exactly what will happen because I have never seen this attempted before, but the outcome will be that Maka is drawn into your body through your blood stream. Afterwards, the wound should seal up. This should fool the portal, as it has to allow you two to pass through. It may not detect a passenger. Maka will essentially be riding you back into the world of the living. Now, once you are back, your body will reject Maka's soul as it is unnatural for one body to possess two souls. Whichever one of you doesn't have her will have to help the other get to Shibusen as fast as possible. Faster, even. Come straight back here and go to Stein's lab in the school. He will direct you how to transfer Maka's soul into her own body. If you fail to get back to her body fast enough, your body will fail to hold her and she will be trapped here as a ghost, unable to return to the Underworld and unable to return to her body. It will drive her soul to madness from which there is no return, and that is a fate worse than death, so you _cannot_ fail. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," we said in unison.

Lord Death sighed worriedly and rubbed the back of his head with his huge white hand.

"Well, then I guess this is it. Best of luck to both of you, and please do be careful," he said fretfully.

"We will, father. Don't worry, we will bring her back," Kid replied.

I snorted. What a goody goody.

"Alrighty then, well, tell Charon that I said hello!" Lord Death said, springing back into his usual self and holding up the peace sign. "Oh, and give him these. A little bribe never hurts, and not many people observe the payment ritual anymore, not since the days of ancient Greece and Rome."

Lord Death reached through the mirror and handed Kid four perfectly shined silver coins. He took them and nodded, and with that the mirror disappeared, like it folded in on itself. Now there was nothing around us but those melancholy trees and, up ahead, a wide, foggy gray river.

"Do you think this will work?" I asked Kid.

I knew he didn't have any more answers than me, but I felt like I needed to ask the question anyway.

"I don't know. Father seems to have high hopes that it will work. And…I can't let myself doubt that it will. Right now, hope is all I have. If I lose it, I won't be able to go on. So I have to believe that this will work," he replied solemnly, his eyes glued to the river.

I understood exactly what it meant. This plan was our last hope at having Maka back. If I doubt the plan, I doubt that she will come back. That would mean admitting that I lost her. And I can't do that. Not yet. Not ever.

As we drew nearer to the river I realized how big it was. It stretched further than the eye could see from side to side, and its width seemed almost impossible. A thick wall of fog hung across the center of the river, preventing us from seeing to the other side. For all we knew there was no other side.

Kid tapped my shoulder and pointed over to the left. A crude dock made of pale, dead looking wood stretched out over the water. At the end of the dock, leaning against a tall staff made of the same dead wood as the dock, was an unnaturally tall figure shrouded entirely in black. He was looking out over the water, and his cloak seemed to hover and swirl around him like a dense black fog. This wasn't a human being. This must be Charon the Boatman. I gulped as Kid and I approached him. I half expected him to look goofy like Lord Death. I guess this guy wasn't as much of a people person. Dealing with dead folks for eternity will do that to you, I guess.

We walked down the dock, approaching the figure. We stopped a few feet behind him, but he did not respond to our presence. I looked at Kid, silently urging him to say something. After all, _he's _the future death god. Not me.

Kid cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Excuse me. You are the Boatman Charon of the River Styx, deliverer of souls and gatekeeper to the Underworld?"

I scoffed.

_Easy on the titles, suck up. So formal. No way Maka could go for someone so…so…I don't know, constantly perfect. He's gotta be like 10% girl._

After several seconds that seemed like an hour, the shrouded figure slowly turned to face us. Once he did so, he brought his staff down on the dock with a bang that sounded like thunder before leaning against it once more. The flowing black hood hung over half of his face, revealing only deathly pale skin that looked as thin as paper stretched over hollow cheekbones, a sharp chin, and thin gray lips pressed tightly together. Long, gaunt hands wrapped around the staff as the figure in black surveyed Kid and I. After several seconds, he spoke.

"My young friends, welcome to the River Styx. I wonder, what could two very much alive young men be doing passing through the Forest of Despair. Only the dead pass here."

His voice sounded muffled, as if he were talking through a thick veil, and the movement of his lips did not match his words. His lips barely moved, and when they did they seemed to be lagging behind the words he spoke. It was creepy, and I felt myself getting goose bumps just looking at him.

Kid cleared his throat, probably trying to make sure his voice didn't waver. Even the young death god was skeeved out by this guy.

"I am Death the Kid, son of Lord Death. I am a Shinigami like my father, and this is Soul Eater, my weapon partner."

Charon chuckled, a deep rumble that snaked through the air.

"Of course, I see that. Your appearance told me who you were the moment I saw you. I did not ask who you are, only what brought you here. But tell me, how is Lord Death these days? I have not seen him for ages, not since the fiasco where he had to seal his other son in a bag of his own skin."

Kid's eyes widened.

"You were there for that?"

Charon's lips stretched into a grim smirk.

"Who do you think taught him that little trick? Lord Death is powerful, but I have existed since the dawn of time. I have powers and knowledge that would stun even him," he replied, then his voice grew grim once again. "Again I ask you, what brings you here, little Lord Death?"

Kid bristled, but his voice remained calm.

"My father has sent us here on a mission. We require passage into the Underworld. My father said that you owed him a favor. He also sent me with these."

Kid held out his hand and displayed the four silver coins. Charon reached out and took one, holding it up so that he could see it. After a moment he took the other coins from Kid and tossed them around in his bony hand.

"What business, I wonder, would cause Lord Death to send two young men like you, and his own son, no less, into a place like this? He only ever sends me the souls of those who need passage to eternal rest. Anything more and he calls me himself from his reflection in the water. This must be important business," he mused, making Kid shift uncomfortably.

I was getting really tired of this guy.

"Look, are you going to take us across or not?" I snapped at him.

His hooded face turned towards me and for a second he seemed to just be staring into my soul. Then, faster than I could blink, he rushed towards me. He moved like lightning, black tendrils of his smoky cloak trailing behind him. It didn't even seem like his legs moved, he was just suddenly in front of me as his long fingers gripped my chin. He tilted my face up so I could look at him. As hard as I tried, I couldn't see through the shadow of his hood. All I saw were his thin lips moving as his muffled voice drifted forth.

"Speak to me with respect, child, and hear what I have to say. I have been at my post here for an unfathomably long time. As I told your meister, I am as old as the line of Shinigami and I will be here until the end of time. And in my many centuries of duty I have seen many a young man and woman come to this dock with the same look in their eyes that you have now. The look of one who has been separated too soon from the person they love. I have had young women beg me to let them wait for their lovers here. I have had men challenge me to a fight in order to return to their bodies, to their women. And to all of them I have said the same thing; that the end is the end, and it waits for none. It makes no exceptions. And here you are, two young, handsome men, bearing that look in your eyes. And not so long ago, just a few hours in fact, I ferried across the soul of a young woman the same age as you. She had that look in her eyes as well, that longing sorrow. Lovely little thing she was. It's always a shame to see such beauty and intelligence cut down in the prime of life. It must have been an awful death, too. Her soul was still tinged with blood. But, like all the others, I delivered her across, and now here you are, and your eyes give you away. The moment I saw you I knew why you have come. As the guardian to the passage of the dead I tell you now, I will not allow you to take a soul from eternal rest and return it to a world where it does not belong. That girl fought hard her whole life. She has been rewarded with paradise. Would you take her away from that haven and return her to a world of violence and death?"

I felt my resolve waver for a moment. He was right, Maka had spent most of her life fighting. I had seen her wounded more times than I could count, and each time it hurt me like the wound was my own. I had seen her cry, seen her scream, seen her bleed. And for all her strength and intelligence she had died bloody, let down by the friends she loved so dearly. Was it wrong of us to want to take her back to that? Were we being selfish?

Charon released my chin and I let my head drop. What should I do? Kid must have sensed what I was feeling, for it was he who answered Charon.

"I am sure Paradise is beautiful. And I am sure that it is where Maka's soul belongs. She was…she _is _good and pure and kind and smart. She deserves paradise. But I know her well enough to know that she doesn't want it, not yet. Her friends are the most important things in the world to her, and she would never want to leave us behind no matter what joy awaits her. She would want to stay with us until it was rightfully her time to go. She wasn't ready yet, that is why she fought so hard to survive her wounds. She wasn't meant to die so young, but we got her killed. We failed her, and we have to make it right. So yes, we have come for her. We are going to bring her home so that she can live out the rest of her life surrounded by those who love her. And when it truly is her time to go, when she is old and gray and has lived out everything she ever wanted, then Paradise can have her, and be all the more beautiful for her presence there. But not yet. Not today."

Kid looked resolutely at Charon, his eyes shining with the tears he was fighting back, as I stared out over the gray waters of the Styx with tears on my cheeks. Charon's shadowed face turned from Kid, to me, then to Kid again. Finally, a grim smile stretched across his papery skin once more and he began moving backwards, away from us. His stance did not change, so it looked almost like he was just drifting away.

"I suppose I do owe Lord Death a favor, and a thanks for the coins. Very well, I will take you across."

He turned to face the water and reached out his arm. Looking down at the water, he began rotating his hand as if he were calling something up from the depths of the water. The dock began shaking and the water rippled. A pale boat made of dead wood rose up from the water. It was shaped like a canoe, but wider and more flat. At the front of the boat a mast rose up and curled forward, an iron lantern hanging from the inner point of the curl with a black candle burning inside, and at the back was what looked like an awning made from six poles, two on each side and two across the top, covered with thick black gossamer. Charon flowed down into the boat and stood beneath the awning. He put his staff in the water and kept feeding it down into the depths. The staff seemed t endlessly extend until finally it touched the bottom of the river. He leaned on the staff and turned his face towards us.

"Come along, children. The dead await you."

Kid and I gulped before exchanging glances. I could see that he was as unnerved as me, but we were both determined.

_Anything for Maka_.

We jumped down into the bot, and Charon used his staff to push off. He used the staff to push the ferry across the water. It didn't take us long to hit the wall of fog, and the black candle shining at the front of the boat became the only light. Kid and I sat next to each other on a thin bench that stretched across the middle of the ferry. Something he had said bothered me, and I leaned in so that I could speak to him in a low voice so that the boatman wouldn't hear.

"Let's get something straight, alright? We both love Maka, and we both want her to live, so we are working together. But you are _not_ my meister. Maka is. Nobody other than her will _ever_ call themselves my meister. I will always be hers. Got it?"

Kid pressed his lips together and nodded, then turned his face towards me.

"We have been friends for years, Soul, but clearly things between us will never be the same. Maka will choose one of us, and the other will have to live with her decision. If she chooses me, which I hope to death that she will, she will still need you to be her weapon. Tell me, would you abandon her again?"

I clenched my fists and glared at him, speaking through gritted teeth.

"I will never abandon Maka. If she chooses you it will break my heart, but I am her friend, and I will always love her, so I want her to be happy. So I would stay out of your way and continue to just be Maka's best friend and weapon. But if she chooses you and you aren't what she deserves, I will intervene. And if she chooses you and you _ever _hurt her, I don't care who your father is, I _will_ kill you."

Kid nodded and looked at me solemnly.

"I would say the same to you," he said coolly.

"Alright then, let's make a deal. Whichever one of us she loves, the other will stay out of the way and just be Maka's friend. But if the one she chooses isn't making her happy or does anything to hurt her, the other can step in. Deal?" I asked, holding out my hand.

Kid shook it and nodded.

"Deal," he said.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. After what seemed like hours, the boat hit shore, and the light of the candle illuminated a brief expanse of sand that led into a dark and sinister looking forest. Two huge, mangled, twisted black trees curved sideways towards each other, their branches mingling so that they created what looked like an archway. The place looked…evil.

"Maka came here?" I asked Charon.

I couldn't picture her beautiful winged soul passing through this place.

"No," Charon replied. "When I ferry souls across I never know for sure where we will land. I guide the boat across the river, and the nature of the soul I am carrying determines which shore I find. Your friend's soul was the most beautiful and pure I have seen in a long time. She went straight to the shores of Paradise. You two are still alive, so the Underworld didn't read your souls. So you are starting at the beginning. This is the gateway into the Underworld. Once you pass under that arch, there is no turning back. The only way out I through the portal."

Kid and I moved to get off of the ferry, but Charon stopped us.

"Before you go, I must fill you in on the nature of this place. I am sure your father told you not to draw attention to yourselves, but did he tell you why?"

Kid shook his head.

"There are more than just human souls in the Underworld. As I said, the nature of a person's soul determines which part of the Underworld they are drawn to. You will have to pass through every part of the Underworld in order to reach Paradise. There are pre-kishin souls here as well as witches who died well before your treaty was made. There are also human souls that in life were marred by sin and so in death are twisted and broken. They are all violent and bitter. These things will not allow you to pass peacefully by if they catch wind of you. If the monsters that live here sense a living soul, they will attack you, kill you, and try to ride your bodies back to the world of the living. It will not work, but they do not know that, and you would be dead all the same. When you die in the Underworld, your soul becomes nothing. You cease to exist, doomed to oblivion. Therefore I would advise you to avoid fights when you can. If you do fight, make sure you kill the soul that you are fighting. That is why your father sent you with a weapon, little lord death. A meister alone would be defenseless. Only a demon weapon can actually kill a soul here. Nothing you do would hurt it, so make sure you two stay together."

Kid and I nodded and jumped off of the ferry. We landed in sand that was as gray as the water. We started to step towards the black forest, but Charon spoke one more time.

"When you find your friend and absorb her soul, be very careful. Make sure that it is her and only her. Do not let anything else out."

Kid and I turned to thank him, but he had already disappeared into the fog. All we could see was the distant, dim glow of the black candle.

"Well, let's go get her," I said, moving towards the forest. Kid and I paused when we reached the archway. An inscription was carved into the trunk of one of the trees: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Kid sighed.

"No turning back," he said grimly.

I nodded.

"No turning back."

_Maka…we're coming. We'll bring you back. I'll go through hell to find you._

We each took a deep breath and passed under the archway.


End file.
